California Man Killed by Bear in Alaska, Man had been photographing bear for 8 minutes prior to attack!
Park officials have named a hiker who was killed by a grizzly bear in Alaska's Denali National Park.
The National Park Service says in a statement Saturday night that 49-year-old Richard White of San Diego had been in the Denali backcountry for three nights when he was killed on Friday.
Officials said the hiker had photographed a grizzly bear for at least eight minutes before the bear mauled and killed him. It was the first fatal attack in the park's history.
Reuters reported that Denali park Superintendent Paul Anderson said the bear suspected of attacking the man, a large male grizzly, was found near the body and was shot from a helicopter Saturday afternoon.
Anderson also said investigators recovered the camera and looked at the photographs, which show the bear grazing and not acting aggressively before the attack.
Officials say the hiker came within 50 yards of the bear, far closer than the quarter-mile of separation required by park rules.
Read statement from park officials describing attack.
