A Wisconsin family saved a swimming bear with a food container stuck on its head while they were fishing Saturday.
“That was the thing I remember most, is that bear panting heavily, trying to get air,” Brian Hurt told the Associated Press. “Can you imagine having that down in the water, it sealed it off so it couldn’t get fresh air into that jug?” (RELATED: Italian Governor Gives Bear Death Penalty After Father And Son Attacked)
Locals had seen the bear with the jug on its head for the past few days, and were attempting to contact the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for help, per the AP. The family reportedly first thought the bear was a dog.
“I should have bought a lottery ticket,” Hurt continued. “I probably would have better chances at winning the lottery ticket than stumbling across that poor bear.”
Hurt estimated that the bear was about one year old and was likely still with its mother, according to the AP.
It took the family two attempts to get the jug off of the bear’s head. Tricia Hurt told the AP that if they had been there two minutes sooner or later they would have missed the bear entirely.
“We heard it fall and collapse on shore so I knew it was safe at that point,” Brian told the AP.