5 Cyclists Attacked by Cougar in Washington: ‘I Hope That She Will Recover’

The attack, which saw one woman hospitalized, happened on a bike trail in King County on Saturday

One woman has been hospitalized after five cyclists were attacked by a cougar on a bike trail in Washington over the weekend.

According to a statement from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), officers received a report of a “human-cougar incident with documented injuries” in King County on Saturday afternoon.

The WDFW said the woman was hospitalized to be treated for her injuries and she is in a “stable condition.”

First responders told CBS affiliate KIRO-TV that the woman, 60, was taken to Harborview Medical Center with serious injuries to her face, jaw and neck.

“I hope that she will recover. She will be fine. I am hearing that it is not life-threatening,” Sgt. Carlo Pace of the Fish and Wildlife Police told the outlet.

Related: 8-Year-Old Hospitalized After ‘Extraordinarily Rare’ Cougar Attack During Washington State Camping Trip

Sgt. Pace said the other cyclists were able to pin the cougar down with a mountain bike until officers arrived. The cougar was then shot and killed, according to the sergeant.

“If it wasn’t for the response of her friends, it could’ve been much worse because these animals are lethal,” he added.

According to a statement from the King County Sheriff’s Office, per CNN, the attack occurred along Tokul Creek. “One biker (reportedly a 60-year-old female) received either claw or bite injuries from one of the cats during this incident,” the statement read in part.

Related: 'Tough and Brave' 9-Year-Old Girl Attacked by Cougar While Playing Hide-and-Seek

“Fish and Wildlife officers removed one subadult cougar on arrival at the scene,” the statement from the WDFW continued.

A houndsman was also sent to find a possible second cougar involved in the incident per the statement, but the WDFW said they did not find a second cougar near the scene.

As of 2022, the WDFW estimates there are approximately 3,600 cougars in Washington state, according to their website.

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A WDFW spokesperson told PEOPLE that cougar attacks on humans are “extremely rare.” "In Washington state, there have been two fatal cougar attacks and approximately 20 other recorded encounters that resulted in human injury in the last 100 years," said Becky Elder of the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Police.

However, the agency said if someone does find themselves face-to-face with a cougar they shouldn’t run away as it “may trigger an attack.”

Other advice includes trying to appear larger than the cougar and talking to it firmly while “slowly backing away,” as well as fighting back if you are being attacked.

"Be aggressive and try to stay on your feet,” the WDFW website states. “Cougars have been driven away by people who have fought back using anything within reach, including sticks, rocks, shovels, backpacks, and clothing — even bare hands. If you are aggressive enough, a cougar will flee, realizing it has made a mistake.”

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