"If Only It Had Been Me"…The Tragedy of a Teen Hiking with Her Boyfriend

Encounter with Bear on Mountain Leads to Fatal Fall off Cliff
Expert: "This Incident Is Unusual"

A tragic incident occurred in Romania where a teenage girl hiking with her boyfriend was suddenly attacked by a bear and fell off a cliff to her death.

According to the New York Post and other sources on the 11th (local time), Maria Diana (19), a Romanian woman, encountered a bear while hiking with her boyfriend in the Bucegi Mountains of Romania. At the time, Diana and her boyfriend were climbing towards the Spumoasa Waterfall. When the bear suddenly appeared, a startled Diana immediately called emergency services. However, during the call, the bear quickly grabbed her leg and pushed her off a 120-meter-high cliff. The entire situation was relayed in real-time through the phone call.

Maria Diana (19), who was hiking with her boyfriend in Bucegi Mountains, Romania, was attacked and killed by a bear. [Image source=Jam Press capture]

Diana’s boyfriend, who was with her, fortunately survived. He said, "The bear grabbed Diana’s leg, and I did not see what the bear did to her," adding, "It was an unexpected event. I tried to threaten the bear, but misfortune struck." He also expressed his grief, saying, "I wish I had been the one attacked by the bear."

Dan Banu, head of the mountain rescue service, told local media, "Diana shouted, 'The bear is getting closer and closer,'" and "He was terrified," describing the situation at the time. When rescue workers were dispatched to recover Diana’s body, the bear was still lingering around the area. Eventually, the bear was shot and killed.

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article [Image source=Pixabay]

Sabin Corniu, captain of the mountain rescue service 'Salvamont Romania,' said, "Based on the information we have, the bear attacked Diana on the mountain trail and dragged her into the vegetation beside the trail," adding, "It seems that somewhere there, the victim was pushed into a crevice of the cliff." He also noted, "Usually, bears attack when they feel threatened or when food is present, but this case is different," and added, "We need to investigate further what exactly influenced the bear’s behavior; it could be due to the heat or possibly a disease the bear is suffering from."

On the other hand, wildlife expert Carmen Strungaru said it is unlikely that the bear deliberately pulled Diana off the cliff. He expressed the opinion that "the victim, frightened, tried to escape and fell off the cliff, and the bear may have fallen along with her."

Romania is the country with the largest population of brown bears in Europe, excluding Russia. The estimated number of bears living in Romania is about 8,000.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.