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'He's A Hero': Dad Saves Child From Mountain Lion Attack At Olympic National Park

July 22, 2025

A father's quick and courageous actions likely saved his child’s life during a rare mountain lion attack at Olympic National Park’s Hurricane Ridge in Washington.

Witnesses say the dad jumped in and pulled the 4-year-old away from the animal, preventing what could have been a tragic outcome.

A trail in Olympic National Park / Pexels

The incident happened on Saturday, July 20, around 3:15 p.m. near the Victoria Outlook, a popular trail in the park. The child, who was walking with family, was bitten by a collared mountain lion.

Hiker Steve Murrow was nearby with his own family when he heard the terrifying sounds.

“We heard like screaming of a small child,” he told KIRO 7. Murrow and his father-in-law, Mike Flenniken, didn’t see the attack but arrived moments later to find people rushing down the trail.

Murrow described seeing a woman—believed to be the child’s mother—carrying the injured child. “The kid was crying still. Wasn’t screaming, but sobbing,” he said. Another woman walking beside them was heard reassuring the mother: “You’re doing good. You’re doing good.”

The child’s father, according to accounts shared with Murrow and Flenniken, was the one who intervened during the attack.

“I don’t think that kid would survive if it wasn’t for his dad jumping in,” Murrow said. “I mean, he’s a hero.”

The child was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and treated for injuries. The hospital confirmed the child was in satisfactory condition and has since been released.

Park rangers launched an immediate search for the cougar, and a canine team joined later that afternoon.

"Rangers located the cougar shortly after the canine team joined the effort but did not complete the dispatch operation until the following morning," the National Park Service shared in a statement.

What to do if you encounter a cougar

If you come face-to-face with a cougar, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service suggests the following:

1. Make yourself appear larger, more aggressive. Open your jacket, raise your arms, and throw stones, branches, etc., without turning away. Wave raised arms slowly, and speak slowly, firmly, loudly to disrupt and discourage predatory behavior.

2. Never run past or from a cougar. This may trigger their instinct to chase. Make eye contact. Stand your ground.

3. Never bend over or crouch down. Doing so causes humans to resemble four-legged prey animals.