Polar Bear Mauls Young Worker as Coworkers Make Desperate Move to Save His Life

A 23-year-old road worker narrowly escaped a terrifying polar bear attack in the Russian Arctic after his coworkers distracted the enormous predator and used an excavator to lift him out of danger. But the nightmare was far from over, as the animal continued prowling nearby while emergency responders raced to save him.

The horrifying encounter unfolded Sunday evening, October 25, near the Bukhta Sever oil terminal on Russia’s remote Taymyr Peninsula, along the icy shores of the Kara Sea.

The victim, identified in Russian media as Dmitry, was reportedly near the shoreline when the polar bear suddenly attacked, leaving him with serious injuries to his head, shoulders and both hands.

With the powerful predator still dangerously close, two coworkers rushed to his aid, shouting and banging metal objects to distract the animal. Their quick thinking bought Dmitry enough time to climb into the bucket of a nearby excavator, where an operator raised him beyond the bear’s reach.

Once the animal moved away, his colleagues lowered him to the ground and carried him into a portable work cabin. However, the bear refused to leave the area, creating another frightening obstacle for the medical team responding to the emergency.

Paramedic Angelina Meleshchenko and her husband, medical driver Yevgeny Meleshchenko, were dispatched to the scene with an armed security guard escorting them because the predator remained nearby.

According to the medical services provider Corporate Medical Center, the bear was approximately 165 feet from the cabin when rescuers arrived. Angelina later told Russian news outlet NGS24 that the animal continued wandering around the area and even approached the cabin where they were treating the injured worker.

The medical team administered emergency care before transporting Dmitry to a nearby medical facility, where doctors cleaned and treated his wounds and provided preventive treatment against rabies.

Despite the seriousness of his injuries, the young man survived the ordeal. Medical personnel remained with him through the night before he was evacuated by air ambulance on October 26 for additional hospital treatment.

Russian authorities subsequently reported that Dmitry was in satisfactory condition, offering a remarkable update following an encounter that could easily have ended in tragedy.

For Angelina, who has spent three years working in the Arctic, the attack was unlike anything she had previously experienced. She acknowledged being frightened by the enormous animal, describing the sight of a polar bear at such close range as particularly intimidating.

The incident has also renewed concerns about dangerous encounters between polar bears and people working in remote Arctic regions. Although their white fur and familiar appearance have made them popular wildlife attractions, polar bears are powerful predators capable of causing devastating injuries.

The animals occasionally venture into settlements, industrial camps and other areas occupied by humans, making precautions particularly important in regions where their natural habitat overlaps with expanding industrial activity.

For Dmitry, however, the terrifying experience ended with something extraordinary: a second chance at life, thanks to coworkers who refused to abandon him and a medical team willing to approach while the dangerous predator was still nearby.