August M
A father-of-two says he survived a near-fatal encounter with a black bear that left him with multiple broken bones and months out of work.
The attack happened during his early morning commute, when a passing truck driver intervened at the last moment.
Charged at dawn
According to The Express, Alexander Antonetty, 40, was riding his e-scooter to work at around 5.30am on September 23, 2025, in Orange County, California, when a large black bear ran toward him.
He said the animal, which he estimated weighed around 500lbs, knocked him unconscious after slamming into him near a wooded area by a pond.
“I was on my way to work at 5.30am. I was riding my e-scooter and there’s a pond at a stop sign before I get to my work, in our plaza [around it] there’s nothing but woods. I heard a couple of little splashes but I didn’t see anything. I didn’t think anything of it, I kept on going and then I heard something run in the pond. When I looked to my right, I saw a black bear coming towards me, I panicked and I was trying to go as fast as I could. The next thing I know, I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus and when I woke up the bear was on top of me.”
Face-to-face
When he regained consciousness, Antonetty said the animal was pinning him down.
“As soon as I saw the bear, I thought I was going to die. When I opened my eyes, I was on my back and the bear was literally face-to-face with me. I could smell its breath, the bear was slobbering on me, it was looking at me like I was dessert.”
He added: “As soon as the saliva from the bear started hitting my face I started praying. I was like ‘Lord please let me get back to my kids’.”
A truck driver who witnessed the attack repeatedly sounded his horn and shouted, causing the bear to run away. “That’s when the truck came out of nowhere and started beeping the horn. I heard the guy yelling and then all I heard was beeping and the bear took off running. The truck driver saved my life.”
Long recovery
Paramedics took Antonetty to hospital, where doctors confirmed he had broken his left leg, collarbone and three ribs, and torn his ACL.
He said the injuries kept him from working for months, creating financial hardship for his family. He has launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking $2,500 in support and says he has so far raised $500.
“It took me a month to get out my room, I was having nightmares,” he said. “But I thank God that I’m still alive because there’s not a lot of people who can say that they were attacked by a bear and still walked away from it.”
Orange County Police have been approached for comment, The Express reported.
Sources: The Express
