Boy Scout plays dead, survives bear attack

Published: October 15, 2007, 7:34 am

Tags: bear attack, bearattack, boy scout, boyscout, chris malasics, chrismalasics, hickory run state park, hickoryrunstatepark, play dead, playdead

Filed under: Teenager, Parks, OutingsI don't know if the Boy Scouts of America teach this particular skill, but playing dead might just be the reason 14-year-old Chris Malasics is still alive. He was camping with his troop in Hickory Run State Park in Pennsylvania last week when a bear invited himself into the boy's tent.Instead of freaking out and screaming (which would have been my first instinct), he played dead. He told the Daily Local News of West Chester, "I was just trying to figure out what to do to not get hurt." I guess the bear didn't totally buy it because he picked up Malasics and began tossing him around. A quick-thinking Scout leader began making noises with pots and pans and flashing car headlights in an effort to distract the bear. Amazingly, the bear then wandered off.Malasics was treated at a local hospital for cuts and bruises and given a precautionary rabies shot. He says this experience hasn't put him off of camping, though. But next time, he plans to have

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