Bear attack and lightning strike give student a scare

We’ve all had them: those days during which, no matter what you do, nothing seems to go your way, as if the universe is conspiring against your every hope and dream. We’ve all had our luck run out on us a time or two, but it seems that some people are consistently on the wrong side of that equation. Sophomore Brian Fitzsimmons could be considered one of those people.

Fitzsimmons’ bout with Lady Luck began more than five years ago on a normal trip to the mountains of Colorado. In the middle of a seemingly routine hike through the Rocky Mountain wilderness, Fitzsimmons’ luck suddenly ran out when a bear cub crossed the trail in front of him and his uncle, the only other person with him at the time. When he saw the cub’s mother, Fitzsimmons froze, unsure of what to think.

“I was really nervous and scared for what was going to happen,” Fitzsimmons said. “I was just unaware of what was going to happen next.”

Fortunately for uncle and nephew, they came prepared. After being shoved over and scraped up minimally by the bear, Fitzsimmons’ uncle sprayed the mother bear with bear spray, a heavy duty form of pepper spray meant to discourage an attacking bear. The spray worked, and the two escaped the situation relatively unscathed. The experience taught Fitzsimmons an important lesson about being in the wilderness, one he hopes others learn the easy way.

“Always be prepared, know what’s out there and be observant,” Fitzsimmons said.

Three years later, during a church trip to the boundary waters, the lakes on the border of Minnesota and Canada, Fitzsimmons luck ran out for a second time. Fitzsimmons and 2004 Mill Valley graduate Alex Treaster who was a leader on the trip were in a canoe in the middle of a large lake when an unexpected storm rolled in.

“It got to be a torrential rainstorm, and we couldn’t see very well,” Fitzsimmons said.

Fitzsimmons and Treaster headed for what they thought was safety, a small island in the lake. The two got out of the canoe to take it out of the water when the worst case scenario became reality. The canoe and the two young men carrying it were struck by lightning.

“[The lightning strike was] very fast, very hot,” Fitzsimmons said. “We got burns on the bottoms of our feet … and we were really dizzy and we had concussion-like symptoms.”

Fitzsimmons attributed the mildness of his injuries to being in the water when he was struck, causing the electricity from the strike to disperse more readily.

After two near-death experiences in the span of three years, Fitzsimmons has surely had enough for a lifetime.