Posted on 10/28/2009 12:33:10 PM PDT by Borges
Taylor Mitchell, a 19-year-old Toronto singer whose debut album was released in March, has died in a Nova Scotia hospital after being mauled by coyotes in a Cape Breton park.
Mitchell was hiking Tuesday on the Skyline Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park when she was attacked by two coyotes. Another hiker, who was walking nearby, heard her cries for help and called 911.
Officers arrived about 3:15 p.m., and one of the coyotes fled into the bush. The other coyote was shot and limped away.
Mitchell was airlifted to a hospital in Halifax, where she died early Wednesday.
"I spoke to her mother late last night and at one point we thought, she was stable," said manager Lisa Weitz, "but she had lost too much blood."
The singer and songwriter, who loved the outdoors, had started her East Coast tour on Oct. 23 in New Brunswick and was scheduled to perform in Sydney tonight. "She had a small break and (she) wanted to go hiking," said Weitz.
Mitchell, whose MySpace photograph has her standing in the woods with a guitar in one hand, released her debut album this March.
A website review describes her album as "a collection of mostly original songs that showcases a range of styles, from folk to country-rock to pop."
Born and raised in Toronto, Mitchell studied music from an early age and graduated in 2008 from Etobicoke School of the Arts.
She was very excited to be touring the Maritimes, said Weitz. "She was just exhilarated to be on the road and performing."
Friends and family are in shock, said Weitz.
In Nova Scotia, Don Anderson, a biologist with that province's Natural Resources Department, said coyote attacks in the area are uncommon, but they do happen from time to time.
An Ontario girl was bitten on the same trail several years ago, Anderson said.
Ethel Merry, owner of the nearby Cheticamp Motel, said the incident was unfortunate but she wasn't surprised to hear about it. She said the motel is about 10 kilometres from the entrance of the park but she often sees coyotes.
"My home is a 100 feet from (the motel) but if it's dark outside, I don't walk alone," she said. "I've seen too many coyotes."
Merry said the attack hasn't fazed locals or park visitors. "Skyline Trail is one of the most beautiful and famous trails in the park. This isn't stopping any hikers," she said.
The park is on the northern tip of Cape Breton Island.
According to Wiki this is the first recorded incident of an adult being killed by coyotes.
Anybody here know about this stuff? They're getting to be more present EVERYWHERE in the US. I want to know if I need to go about armed to keep the little buggers off of me, much as I hate to think I have to worry about it.
Just damn...
Been there. Remote doesn’t start to describe it.
They will also attack small children. I cannot recall hearing about an attack on an adult like this one. Scary.
poor kid
The folks who want wolves to roam free across the landscape should re-think their position. Wolves are a much bigger threat than coyotes, and coyotes are obviously dangerous.
Annie bring your gun.
If there are several of them they are quite brave. In some parts of the US when they are getting plenty of food they are very large.
Here in S California where I live they are smaller.
I wonder why the other hiker wasn’t a little more pro active. Two adults vs two coyotes seems like a mismatch.
That is really bizarre. People can lose even big dogs to packs of coyotes, but give me a baseball bat and I can vanquish legions of coyotes. I’ve heard of coyotes attacking humans before, but never more than one quick nipping bite before the coyote skeedaddles.
tough crowd.
Now tell me they were reintroduced into this park...so I can really boil.
Umm, I may be dumb, but couldn’t you fight them off with a walking stick or a nine iron? I guess she didn’t have either at hand.
The Western Coyote is a small critter and lives a solitary lifestyle.
The Eastern Coyote is actually believed to be a hybrid between the western coyote and the eastern timber wolf. It gets larger and can form form packs. Its dangerous - obviously. People who hike or travel in areas where dangerous animals are found, should be allowed to be armed, or should be accompanied by another individual who is capable of handling a weapon.
This is really a horrible tragedy which lever should have happened.
I'd like to think this other hiker rendered immediate assistance and administered first aid to stem the bleeding and try and save her life but there's no mention of this happening in the story.
Whenever I go for a walk in the woods I carry at least a 357 magnum revolver, sometimes a 44 Rem Mag revolver. You never know what or who you might run into. Unfortunately in Canada, self defense with a firearm is not allowed and so this young lady had no such option.
“According to Wiki this is the first recorded incident of an adult being killed by coyotes.”
Agree. This story is bull not coyote.
I wouldn’t say coyotes are shy and harmless so much as cowardly and preferring to avoid direct confrontation on even terms. But the instant they think they have the upper hand everything is just meat they haven’t eaten yet.
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