Teen survives bear attack after smartphone battery explodes in pocket

A 15-year-old boy was critically injured in a bear attack in Russia's Altai region, with his smartphone exploding to scare the animal away during the incident.

WTX News

•3 min read
0

/

Teen survives bear attack after smartphone battery explodes in pocket

Get you up to speed: Teen survives bear attack after phone explodes | News World

A 15-year-old boy was seriously injured during a bear attack in the Altai region of Russia while tending to his family’s beehives. He underwent surgery in Moscow for critical injuries sustained in the incident, which occurred approximately 12 miles from the village of Solton.

The 15-year-old boy is currently in critical condition after undergoing surgery in Moscow for multiple injuries, including to his brain and chest. A hunting party has been formed to locate the bear responsible for the attack, with authorities expressing a commitment to neutralising the threat.

The Altai regional authorities have formed a hunting party following a bear attack that left a 15-year-old boy in critical condition, with Sergey Bundin from the Belovodye hunting reserve stating, “We’re doing everything we can and won’t stop until we’ve shot this bear.” This incident is part of a broader trend, with at least 16 fatal bear encounters reported across Russia in September, likely exacerbated by severe wildfires disrupting bear habitats.

What remains unclear — It is not yet known whether the bear that attacked the boy has been located or captured.

Teen survives bear attack after smartphone battery explodes in pocket

(FILES) A brown bear strolls through wasteland in front of the hospital in the Arctic city of Norilsk on May 22, 2022. At least six people have been killed in bear attacks in Russia's vast Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk in a month, prosecutors said on September 23, 2026, as an official in a neighbouring region reported bears had put one town "under siege". (Photo by Irina YARINSKAYA / AFP via Getty Images)
Driven by hunger: A brown bear strolls through wasteland in front of the hospital in the city of Norilsk (Picture: AFP)

A boy’s life was saved during a bear attack when his smartphone exploded in the creature’s face.

It is believed the bear caused the device to ignite as it bit through the boy’s back pocket.

The 15-year-old was attacked in the Altai region of Russia while tending his family’s beehives.

Reports from Russia said the boy spotted the bear and climbed a tree to escape, but the beast dragged him down before trying to eat him.

A man who witnessed the attack said: ‘I heard him scream, turned my head, and saw the bear already dragging him down from the tree, so I unleashed the dogs.

‘When the bear sank its teeth into the teenager’s buttock, his phone battery exploded in his pocket, scaring the animal off.’

Sign up for all of the latest stories

Buyan, a 15-year-old male Siberian brown bear, looks out from a pool inside an open-air cage at the Royev Ruchey Zoo in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 15, 2015. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin
Attack: A Siberian brown bear left the boy in a critical condition (Picture: Reuters)

The boy was seriously hurt and underwent surgery in Moscow for brain, chest and lower body injuries. His condition was described as critical.

Sergei Kovyazin, chief physician of Biysk Central City Hospital, said: ‘The patient arrived with multiple injuries to his head, scalp, facial bones and neck. These injuries presented the greatest challenge.’

The attack was around 12 miles from the remote village of Solton.

A party has been established to hunt down the bear.

‘We’re doing everything we can and won’t stop until we’ve shot this bear,’ said Sergey Bundin, head of the Belovodye hunting reserve.

The Altai region is home to Siberian brown bears. At least 16 fatal encounters were recorded across Russia in September, according to CNN.

It is believed severe wildfires may have driven the animals into human areas as they search for food.

Comment now

Comments

Add WTX as a Preferred Source on Google

Add as preferred source

Responses

    Sarah Mitchell·

    Great article! This really puts things into perspective. I appreciate the thorough research and balanced viewpoint.

    James Anderson·

    Interesting read, though I think there are some points that could have been explored further. Would love to see a follow-up on this topic.

    Emma Thompson·

    Thanks for sharing this! I had no idea about some of these details. Definitely bookmarking this for future reference.

    Michael Chen·

    Well written and informative. The examples provided really help illustrate the main points effectively.

    Olivia Rodriguez·

    This is exactly what I was looking for! Clear, concise, and very helpful. Keep up the excellent work!

Stay Updated

Get the latest posts delivered right to your inbox.

No spam, unsubscribe at any time.