Ives, 11, was killed by a black bear on June 17, 2007, while camping with his family about a mile above the Timpooneke Campground in American Fork Canyon. He was ripped from his room in a module tent he had bought his stepfather for Father’s Day, before being dragged off and killed. The bear was eventually found and killed as well, and was confirmed to be the same animal that had entered the campsite the night before and rummaged through food coolers.
The black bear was classified as a Level III animal, which means that it should be euthanized, and wildlife officials did attempt to find the bear after its first appearance but were unsuccessful.
The suits allege that since the bear was unable to be found, campers should have been notified and the campground closed. The family said Friday that they are experienced campers well aware of the risks, but had they known of the bear they never would have stayed in the area just 15 minutes from their home.
“If there wasn’t an attack the night before, we wouldn’t be here arguing it,” said Ives’s biological father Kevan Francis.
The family claims that there were two chances for the state to warn them of the bear danger. The first was when they went through the gate to get to the campground. The second chance was a little more eerie.
“The family passed a Division of Wildlife Resources truck, [that] apparently was the one looking for the bear. They waved at them,”
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/260604/
Quite a bit of negligence there as well. You don't go camping in a bear infested forest and leave food all around your campsite, begging bears to come bother you.
All food should be wrapped in a few layers of plastic garbage bag, then tied up high off the ground AWAY from your campsite. You shouldn't cook, have or eat any food in your tent at any time. Even if you remove the food the smells stay in the tent and canvass, and you become bear bait.
Stupid campers are victims of themselves in most cases. You'd think they'd at least stop at the park office and read the camping guides. Bear facts are available in all of them.