A 29-year-old Russian tourist has died after a bear dragged her from a tent during a night camping trip in the Altai Republic.
The body of the woman was discovered on Wednesday, August 19, in the Turochaksky District of the Siberian region. The regional management of the Investigative Committee of Russia told news outlet Lenta.ru that examiners found numerous injuries across the victim's body.
Nighttime attack near Biya River
The victim had travelled from Novosibirsk Oblast with her fiancé for a holiday in the village of Artybash. The couple set up camp on the bank of the Biya River, where a bear approached their tent during the night.
The predator grabbed the 29-year-old woman and fled into the surrounding forest. Her fiancé attempted to rescue her from the animal but was unable to stop the attack.
Rescuers launched a search in the dark, following the victim's screams as the beast carried her away, news agency TASS reported. Searchers were unable to catch up to the predator in time, and they located the woman only after the animal had fled the scene.
Investigation in Siberian wilderness
The incident occurred in the Turochaksky District, a heavily forested area in the northern Altai Republic near Lake Teletskoye. The Biya River flows out of the lake near Artybash, a popular gateway for tourists visiting the Siberian wilderness. The region is known for its rugged mountain terrain and vast taiga, which forms part of the natural habitat for brown bears in southern Siberia.
Novosibirsk Oblast lies to the northwest of the Altai Republic, with many domestic travellers visiting the region for wilderness camping and outdoor recreation.
Russian law enforcement officers and officials from the Investigative Committee of Russia, the main federal authority responsible for criminal inquiries, are currently carrying out work to establish the full circumstances and causes of the fatal incident.
