A group of women have been praised after fighting off a wild cougar that violently grabbed their friend in its jaws.
On February 17, a group of cyclists named Keri Bergere, Annie Bilotta, Tisch Williams, and Erica Wolf were riding on the Tokul Creek biking trails in Washington State when a pair of big cats, also known as mountain lions, suddenly ran up.
One of the wild animals - which was a 75lb male cougar - suddenly grabbed Bergere, 60, in its jaw and dragged her off her bicycle, according to NBC News.
"The cougars ran out from the brush on the right side of the road and they kind of ran between the two groups of us, and one went up into the woods and the other one changed his mind and decided to tackle Keri," Bilotta, 64, said, as reported by The Guardian.
After witnessing the horrifying scene, Bergere's friends jumped to her defense by throwing rocks and sticks at the animal to try and get it off her, as well as unsuccessfully trying to stab it with a two-inch knife.
"I just remember getting tackled from this side and ending up at the other side of the road pinned to the ground and hearing all the ladies rallying and fighting for my life," she said, per NBC.
Per KUOW, Bilotta attempted to choke the beast, but said: "That was like choking a rock. It did absolutely nothing." She then told NBC that she and Williams, 59, mounted a counterattack to save her by going "hand-to-hand combat-battling this thing".
After around 15 minutes, the wild cat loosened its grip on Bergere, allowing her to slip her face out of its jaws. It was at that moment the cyclists used a bicycle to pin it down while waiting for help. Thankfully, Bergere survived the horrific attack - which lasted about 45 minutes - but was incredibly injured.
"Keri's just laying there by herself and we kept saying, 'Are you doing OK?'
And she would just give us a bloody thumbs up that she was doing OK," Williams recalled.
Officers from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife later arrived on the scene and fatally shot the animal.
They revealed in a statement that the 75-pound male cougar was "in good health and body condition with no evidence of significant diseases or abnormalities that would affect its behavior," and tested negative for rabies.
"We are thankful that the victim is stable after the incident this weekend," Lieutenant Erik Olson said. "The people on scene took immediate action to render aid, and one of our officers was able to arrive within minutes to continue medical aid and coordinate transport. We may have had a very different outcome without their heroic efforts."
Bergere was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she spent five days receiving treatment for her injuries. A GoFundMe was set up on her behalf, and the funds will go directly towards all expenses such as hospital bills and living expenses.
The cyclist expressed her gratitude to her dear friends for their heroics her during the attack, stating: "I’m so grateful, and I know how much I owe these ladies, and they’re always going to be my family moving forward," per KING-TV.
