A 16-year-old running in an annual mountain race in Alaska was fatally mauled by a bear on Sunday, according to local reports.
Authorities launched a search for the teen after he sent a text message to a relative saying he was being chased by the animal, according to the Alaska Dispatch News.
The 16-year-old was taking part in the Robert Spurr Memorial Hill Climb, which began at the Bird Ridge Trailhead southeast of Anchorage. He was making his way back down the mountain when he came across the black bear, the paper reported.
Troopers, the National Guard, park rangers and the Anchorage Police Department responded to the call, while other runners volunteered to search for the boy, according to NBC affiliate KTUU.
The teen was eventually found off the main trail. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Chugach State Park ranger shot the bear, but it ran away. Rangers and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game are still looking for the animal, according to the paper.
