Boy Scouts help save leader’s life during bear attack, reports say

A New Jersey Boy Scout leader is alive this evening thanks to the quick actions of three scouts who were with him when he was attacked by a black bear at the Splitrock Reservoir in Rockaway Township Sunday, according to reports.

ABC 7 reports that the scouts and their leader, 50-year-old Christopher Petronino of Boonton, were exploring a cave just off a hiking trail in the reservoir when the attack took place. Petronino had initially gone inside the cave alone while the boys remained outside. Before long, they heard the man screaming for help. They immediately began to try and use food, including trail mix and bananas, to lure the bear out of the cave, but their initial efforts failed. One of the scout also called 911, at about 12:30 p.m., according to ABC 7.

Remembering their Boy Scout training, the scouts then tried a different approach: they started fire in a successful attempt to smoke the bear out of the cave. The smoke also served another purpose, as it alerted rescuers, who had spent hours searching, to their exact location.

Crews pulled the injured Petronino from the cave. he was airlifted to Morristown Memorial Hospital, where he is recovering from his injuries.

Local officials have praised the Boy Scouts for their composure, bravery and quick-thinking during the crisis.

The bear attack took place less than a day after the second phase of New Jersey's annual black bear hunt concluded. A total of 510 bruins were killed during the bear hunt, according to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife. The Garden State has an estimated bear population of about 3,000.

Toniann Antonelli is the digital managing editor at NJ 101.5. Reach her at toniann.antonelli@townsquaremedia.com, or on Twitter @ToniRadio1015.