Brad Treat was a Forest Service officer and avid outdoorsman.
A 38-year-old man was attacked and killed by a grizzly bear while mountain biking with a friend near Montana’s Glacier National Park on Wednesday afternoon. Authorities found the body of Brad Treat, at the location of the attack. He was pronounced dead at the scene. As of 8:30 p.m. last night, the bear still had not bee located.
The pair of mountain bikers were riding on a forest trail in the Halfmoon Lakes area, south of Glacier National Park. The two men surprised the grizzly bear, and the animal then took Treat off his bike. The second rider, who remains unidentified, was able to escape without injuries. He went on to find help.
Treat was a law enforcement officer with the US Forest Service. He was from Kalispell, and was an accomplished distance runner in high school.
This marks the 11th fatal bear attack in more than 100 years. But it’s the seventh fatal attack since 2010, perhaps a reflection of a growing populace living near these large animals. The last six have all occurred in Yellowstone National Park.
