Mountain Goats Are Being Airlifted Out of a National Park Because They Crave Human Pee

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PORT ANGELES -- A 63-year-old hiker died after he was gored by a mountain goat in Olympic National Park, witnesses say.

The National Park Service says Robert H. Boardman of Port Angeles was hurt Saturday as he hiked near the park's Klahhane Ridge and died hours later at a Port Angeles hospital.

Park rangers then tracked down and killed the animal, which will be analyzed by a veterinary pathologist.

"I am deeply saddened by this tragedy," said Karen Gustin, Olympic National Park superintendent. "My thoughts are with his family and friends."

Officials said this is the only known fatal attack by a mountain goat in the park's history. About 300 mountain goats live in the park.

Barb Maynes, park spokeswoman, said the ram involved in the attack was known for its aggressive behavior, and the park had been monitoring the ram for "the last several years," she said.

Family and friends say Boardman was an experienced hiker, diabetes nurse and musician who loved the Olympic Mountains.

The deadly incident happened when Boardman, his wife, Susan Chadd, and their friend, Pat Willits, had gone for a day hike on the switchback trail to Klahhane Ridge, about 17 miles south of Port Angeles.

Witnesses in the area of the attack were interviewed by the Peninsula Daily News, a KOMO News partner, and gave this account of the deadly encounter:

The threesome had stopped for lunch at an overlook when a goat appeared and moved toward them, said Jessica Baccus, who arrived on the scene at about 1:20 p.m. Saturday.

Baccus, also out for a day hike with her husband and their children, saw Willits, her longtime friend, coming up the trail.

Willits told Baccus that when the goat had begun behaving aggressively, Boardman had urged her and Chadd to leave the scene.

Then Boardman, an experienced hiker, tried to carefully shoo the ram away.

Willits told Baccus that although Boardman tried also to leave, the goat attacked him, goring him in the thigh.

"Nobody saw what actually happened. They heard Bob yell," Baccus said.

The goat stayed, standing over Boardman, who lay on the ground bleeding.

Bill Baccus, a park ranger not on duty but familiar with mountain goat behavior, moved forward with a safety blanket and shook it at the goat, he said.

He also pelted it with rocks, and after what seemed like a long time, "it moved away, but it stayed close by," Jessica Baccus said.

At 1:23 p.m., park rangers called the Coast Guard, while Jessica Baccus began cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Boardman.

At the same time, her husband sought to keep the goat from coming closer again, and kept other hikers away.

After receiving the call, a four-person Coast Guard helicopter crew from Port Angeles that had been headed for Neah Bay turned around, returned to Port Angeles to pick up a litter, and made it to Klahhane Ridge at 1:51 p.m., Lt. Commander Scott Sanborn said.

An emergency medical technician was lowered to administer electric shock in an attempt to revive Boardman.

He had no pulse, Sanborn said, and was lifted into the helicopter. The crew restarted CPR while in the air.

Boardman arrived at Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles at 2:47 p.m., where further efforts to revive him were unsuccessful, nursing supervisor Pattijo Hoskins said.

About an hour after the attack, rangers were able to locate the ram, which was about 8 or 9 years old.

They identified the animal after seeing blood on it, then shot and killed it.

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The remaining 10 percent would be dealt with via "opportunistic ground and helicopter-based lethal removal of mountain goats" when the terrain is too challenging to corral the goats with a helicopter.

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