http://www.freerepublic.com/fo...f-news/3692932/posts

A teenage mine worker has been mauled to death by a female grizzly bear and her two cubs on an Alaskan island.

Anthony David Montoya, 18, a contract worker from Hollis, Oklahoma, died at a remote drill site accessible only by helicopter on Monday, authorities said.

State Troopers said Montoya, who worked for Idaho-based Timberline Drilling, had been working at a drill site on the edge of the Hecla Greens Creek Mine property in southeastern Alaska when he was attacked.

He was mauled by the three bears, all of which were killed before they arrived.

(?????? who are they???) sod

The Hecla Greens Creek Mine, one of the world's largest silver producers, is located about 18 miles south of Juneau on Admiralty Island.

The island is famous for its coastal grizzlies, also known locally as brown bears, and has the densest population, or most bears per square mile, in North America.


(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...

From another forum, from guys who clearly know the real deal:



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Quote Originally Posted by iyouktug View Post
Sounds almost identical to the Pogo mine mauling last year. Why they do not allow these workers being dropped off remote to carry a firearm is beyond me.
In the case of the Pogo geologists, they were allowed to carry firearms under Pogo policy. Both the geologists chose not to.

In this case it was a remote helo accessed drill site. Usually on steep terrain with tooling and equipment at different locations near the drill site. Drillers have a false sense of security due to the noise they generate. Makes them really complacent. I am guessing that due to this guy's age he was a helper and needed both hands to do his job. Can't effectively carry a long arm when both your hands are full of tools or rods. If these guys are like all the other drillers I have worked with, there was a shotgun on the drill rig where it is almost useless to anyone not an arm's length away from it.
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34 Minutes Ago #4

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Quote Originally Posted by XXXX View Post
In the case of the Pogo geologists, they were allowed to carry firearms under Pogo policy. Both the geologists chose not to.

In this case it was a remote helo accessed drill site. Usually on steep terrain with tooling and equipment at different locations near the drill site. Drillers have a false sense of security due to the noise they generate. Makes them really complacent. I am guessing that due to this guy's age he was a helper and needed both hands to do his job. Can't effectively carry a long arm when both your hands are full of tools or rods. If these guys are like all the other drillers I have worked with, there was a shotgun on the drill rig where it is almost useless to anyone not an arm's length away from it.


The kid was a helper. Did that for a season on surface rigs, real creepy at night when you had to run out by yourself to take care of buisness or get materials. We weren't even allowed to have firearms. Didnt carry besr sorsy because you didnt want enyrhing extra hanging off you that could get hing up on equipment while drilling or slinging helicopter loads.

Sad deal.

Having carried firearms most everyday for over 4 decades.

Having Drill wells for 3 years during that time.

Unless in was under a coat in a shoulder rig I would not want one on.

Even then who would want the extra weigh and the chance one would take around the moving equipment.

Plus hand guns tend to get beat up in working situations.

In my former life as a armed DOT inspector I crawled under several thousand motor vehicles during inspections.

One was always catching ones duty belt on things and banging ones holster and grips on things.

As department armorer I have seen some nasty things happen to working guns.