Bobcat attacks sleeping camp counselor in hammock, officials say. Witnesses fight back

A bobcat attacked a camp counselor while he was on a youth trip in Connecticut, officials told news outlets.

At 2:04 a.m. on June 30, Deep River fire personnel responded to Selden Neck State Park in Lyme after getting reports of an animal attack, according to a Facebook post by the department.

The man was attacked by a bobcat while sleeping in a hammock, CT Insider reported.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection told NBC Connecticut the counselor who was attacked and two other youth group leaders killed the bobcat.

The group, with the Wilderness School, a transitional program for young adults in the state, was authorized to camp in the park located on an island along the Connecticut River, according to WTNH.

The three adults and nine minors were transported to the Deep River town landing where ambulances were waiting, according to the Facebook post. The adults went to the hospital, CT Insider reported.

Officials with DEEP told CT Insider the bobcat didn’t have any contact with the campers.

The animal was sent to a lab to be tested for rabies, NBC Connecticut reported.

The National Park Service urges the public to not run away from bobcats. If approached, try to appear as large as possible and back away slowly. If attacked, fight back and report the sighting, the park’s website says.

Lyme is about 40 miles southeast of Hartford.

This story was originally published June 30, 2023 at 2:41 PM with the headline "Bobcat attacks sleeping camp counselor in hammock, officials say. Witnesses fight back."