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Woman walking with companion dies after being chased down by bear in Slovakia
A woman from Belarus died in Slovakia Friday after being chased by a bear through dense forest and mountainous terrain, officials said.
The 31-year-old was walking with a companion, identified as a 29-year-old man from Belarus, through a portion of the Low Tatras mountain range on Friday evening when they encountered the bear and each ran in opposite directions, according to the Slovakian Mountain Rescue Service.
After the pair were separated, the bear chased the woman until she disappeared from the man’s view, he later told Slovakian rescuers. At that point he could not hear her either, the man said.
Mountain Rescue Service Slovakia
A team of rescuers and their service dog searched the area for signs of the couple after receiving an initial report describing their encounter with the bear. The search involved police officers, a brown bear response specialist and members of an avalanche prevention crew, who used thermal imaging drones to survey the area.
They found the woman unresponsive below a deep ravine, which, officials say, she fell down while the bear was chasing her. The bear was spotted near the woman’s body, but crews were able to scare it off with a warning shot and help from the service dog. Rescuers also found her companion close by, who was not “scared but unhurt.”
The woman’s body was eventually recovered and transported by land to Lúčky, a village north of the Low Tatras. The rescue service said an investigation is underway to determine the official cause of her death and learn more about the circumstances surrounding it.
Just one day later, a Slovakian brown bear left a 49-year-old woman and a 72-year-old man with significant injuries in the nearby town of Liptovský Mikuláš, the BBC reported. Videos posted on social media showed the massive bear running down a road, and in one, lunging at a man on the pavement, the outlet reported.
The incidents are part of a marked rise in bear attacks in the region in recent years, including a fatal attack in Slovakia in 2021 that the country said was its first in more than a century, according to the BBC.
Slovakia’s Low Tatras range is part of the broader Carpathian mountains, which are spread across central and eastern Europe and are a known habitat for brown bears. Wildlife researchers estimated about a decade ago that the brown bear population in Slovakia alone stood at around 1,250 and was continuing to grow — making the concentration of Slovakian bears second only to Romania in terms of prevalence.
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Kamala Harris will speak with “60 Minutes” tomorrow. Here’s what to know for the interview.
Voters will get the chance to hear from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she presents her case for why she should be president in a “60 Minutes” election special.
For decades, “60 Minutes” has featured both Republican and Democratic nominees for presidents, but this year, former President Donald Trump backed out after previously indicating he would be on the show. Correspondent Scott Pelley, who’d been set to interview Trump, will instead travel to Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s voters and a critical battleground in a key swing state.
One thing is certain about the election; with the U.S. deeply involved in both the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, whoever wins on Nov. 5 will become a wartime president.
What Harris will discuss
Israel’s war started one year ago after Hamas launched a surprise terror attack and correspondent Bill Whitaker will discuss the ongoing war with Harris.
Harris will also discuss the economy, immigration, her record as vice president and the differences between herself and Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will also appear.
Whitaker joined the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail this week to gain insight into their platform’s priorities and values, and what the candidates believe voters should know.
Why Trump pulled out of the “60 Minutes” interview
Leading up to the candidate hour, Trump, through campaign spokespeople, was the first candidate to accept the “60 Minutes” request to be interviewed for the special, according to CBS News. It had been agreed that both candidates would receive equal time during the broadcast.
Trump last sat down with 60 Minutes in 2020. He walked out during the interview with Lesley Stahl. Trump referenced the incident on Tuesday night at a Milwaukee press conference when asked about his decision not to participate in the Oct. 7 “60 Minutes” election special.
“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology, because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the ‘laptop from hell’ was from Russia, and I said it wasn’t from Russia. It was from Hunter, and I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes.’ I do everything.”
The Republican nominee for president emphasized that he felt he was owed an apology from “60 Minutes.”
“Let’s see if they do it. I wouldn’t mind doing 60,” Trump continued. “I’ve done ’60 Minutes’ a lot.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s team had not agreed to an interview.
“Fake News,” Cheung said in a post on X. “60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
Previous Trump, Harris appearances on 60 Minutes
Trump previously sat down with “60 Minutes'” Mike Wallace in 1985, Pelley in 2015 and Lesley Stahl twice in 2016, first in July of that year and then again in November of 2016. He also spoke with Stahl again in 2018 and 2020.
Harris previously sat down with Whitaker last year. She also was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell, “CBS Evening News” anchor and “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent, in 2020.
How to watch the “60 Minutes” election special
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