Christopher Petrino, 50, suffered only minor bites and scratches after being dragged into a cave by the animal at Split Rock Reservoir Watch video
ROCKAWAY - A Boy Scout leader from Boonton suffered bites and scratches after being attacked by a bear while hiking at Splitrock Reservoir Sunday afternoon with three young scouts, authorities said.
Christopher Petronino, 50, managed to fend off the black bear using a rock hammer after the animal pulled him into a small cave. Petronino and the scouts were later able to draw the bear out of the cave with food, Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Bob Considine said in a statement.
The group had set out to hike on the trails that cover the 625-acre wilderness, and they came along the cave, which Petronino told investigators he had known about since the 1980s.
As he dipped into a small crevasse that led to the cave, the bear grabbed his foot and pulled him inside, biting his leg, right shoulder and left shoulder before fighting back, according to Considine.
"Petronino struck the bear twice in the head with a rock hammer. He then pulled his sweatshirt over his head and curled into the fetal position," he said. "He yelled to the scouts, who were outside the cave, to leave and go get help."
Bear attacks Boy Scout leader who entered Rockaway cave, authorities say
The young scouts called authorities using a cell phone. Officials began tracking their coordinates and deployed a state police helicopter in hopes of finding them. As they waited, Petronino - still inside the cave and able to hear the bear "huffing" - instructed the children to place any food they had outside the cave, drawing the animal out, Considine said.
A dog that had come along with the group barked at the bear, sending it running up a nearby hillside. Petronino then emerged from the cave and called authorities, guiding them in their search.
Considine said the scout leader had spent approximately 80 minutes inside the cave before escaping.
Petronino, who was airlifted to Morristown Medical Center to be treated for bites and scratches to his legs and shoulders, told investigators that he had visited Splitrock and the cave regularly for decades and had never observed a bear.
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He saw no ear tags or collars on the animal. The state recently extended an annual bear hunt to help control the animal's growing numbers in North Jersey.
"Division of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Officers and the Wildlife Control Unit believe the bear was protecting its hibernation location and they do not, at this point, consider the bear to be a Category I bear," said Considine.
The bear has not been located, though police said DEP employees had set traps around the area of the attack in hopes of capturing it.
None of the scouts, who belong to a Boonton-based troop were injured. They were taken to Rockaway police headquarters following the incident, and later released to family members.
Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.