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The body of a 59-year-old man who had gone missing in northern Greece has been retrieved by a rescue team after he was attacked by a bear during a hike with his friend. The victim was located by the Fire Department’s Special Disaster Response Unit (EMAK) at an inaccessible location. A Super Puma helicopter was called in to retrieve the body. The remains were airlifted to Chrysoupoli and subsequently transferred to Kavala Hospital.
Two hikers in the northeast region of Drama faced a bear attack, which has left one missing. Meanwhile, the other hiker was found alive on Mount Frakto after alerting authorities of the incident.
Rescue teams located a 55-year-old man who had climbed a tree to evade the bear and managed to alert authorities by sending his location via emergency number 112 shortly after 9 PM last night (June 9). He was found in good health. However, his 59-year-old friend has not shown any signs of life or made contact since falling into a deep ravine after jumping to escape the animal.
According to local website Voria.gr, the rescued hiker began searching for his friend with their dog once the bear had left the area but was unable to descend far into the steep gorge. He eventually returned to the original location to await rescuers.
The missing hiker’s phone rings, but no answer
Latest updates indicate that rescue teams are calling the missing man’s mobile phone—it rings, but there is no response, and the area remains difficult to access.
The rescue operation is being hampered by severe weather, with relentless rain in the forested area since yesterday afternoon. Nineteen firefighters from the 4th EMAK’s Special Disaster Response Unit (OOED) are participating, supported by six vehicles, volunteers from OFKATH, and friends of the two men. A helicopter also attempted to join the operation but was grounded due to lightning in the area.
Timeline of the bear attack
As Mayor of Paranesti Anastasios Kayaoglou told Voria.gr the two men—friends and members of the Drama Runners Club—had planned a hike to the wreckage of an old fighter plane from the Hellenic Air Force that crashed 78 years ago in the pristine forest of Mount Frakto. What began as a recreational excursion quickly turned dangerous.
The hikers, accompanied by their dog, were moving through the forest when they were attacked by a bear. Although they attempted to deter it with pepper spray, which they had brought for safety, the animal still charged at them. In the chaos, one of the men slipped and fell into a steep ravine.
“The two friends had gone up to the Tzaki Rema area where the old aircraft wreckage is located, a local attraction,” Kayaoglou explained. “That’s where the attack occurred. One man was unharmed, but the other fell into a ravine estimated to be up to 1,000 meters deep. We don’t yet know his exact location or condition.”
Environmental NGO Callisto, which aims to study, protect and manage the populations and habitats of large carnivores, bears and wolves, has also been informed of the incident.
Mount Frakto, which rises to 1,953 meters, lies near the Bulgarian border and is part of the Central Rhodope mountain range, known for its rich biodiversity and abundant wildlife. Its southern section includes the Frakto Virgin Forest—Greece’s only virgin forest and one of the few remaining in Europe.
Access to this forest is strictly regulated, especially during this time of year, which is the reproductive season for protected species such as bears. It is believed that the bear may have reacted out of a perceived threat to her cubs, prompting the aggressive encounter with the hikers.
