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A woman is recovering after a cougar attacked a group of cyclists near Seattle, Washington. The woman and four others were biking on a trail near Fall City, about 25 miles east of Seattle, when they were stalked and attacked by a cougar.
As the cougar pounced on the woman, the other cyclists jumped into action to fight off the large feline.
One of the bikers managed to pin down the 75-pound cougar, while a second one fled back into the woods.
"They did struggle with this animal," Carlo Pace, an officer with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, told KING. "They did fight back. If it wasn't for these people, the lady that was attacked would be in much worse shape."
The 60-year-old woman suffered injuries to her face and neck and is in stable condition following the rare attack.
"We are thankful that the victim is stable after the incident this weekend," Department of Fish and Wildlife Lieutenant Erik Olson said in a press release. "The people on scene took immediate action to render aid, and one of our officers was able to arrive within minutes to continue medical aid and coordinate transport. We may have had a very different outcome without their heroic efforts."
Authorities said that the cougar, which was believed to be just six months old, was killed. Wildlife officials said they are searching the area for the second cougar that may have been involved in the attack.
Pace said that the group was near a creek where cougars usually hunt their prey.
"These bicyclists happened to be in that place," Pace added. "Wrong place, wrong time."