Mountain Lion Attack Kills Cyclist And Seriously Injures Another Near Seattle

A cougar mauled a cyclist to death and seriously injured another in Washingston State this weekend

The freak incident – the first to be recorded in over 90 years – happened near the city of North Bend on a remote trail 30 miles away from Seattle.

The two men were riding together on Saturday morning when the cougar pounced mauling the first cyclist before returning to fatally wound his friend.

"He jumped the first victim and attacked him," said Sergeant Ryan Abbott, of the King County Sheriff's Office.

"The second victim turned and started to run away. The cougar saw that and went after the second victim.

"The first victim saw his friend being pulled by the cougar. He got on his bike and started to bike away."

Police said the injured man rode for roughly two miles before getting cell reception and calling 911.

Sgt Abbott revealed when rescuers arrived it took around 30 minutes to locate the second victim, who was dead with the cougar standing on top of him.

Local police opened fire on the animal causing it to run away.

Officers from the Washington Department of Fish and Game tracked the cat through the forest for several hours before shooting it dead.

Neither men have yet been named – the death was only the second caused by cougars in Washington in the last 94 years.

Fatal cougar attacks are extremely rare in North America with less than 25 recorded in the last century, most of them involving children.