Cap n Ball
Member
Did a search and didn't see this story anywhere else here. Sorry if this is a repeat. I think this woman is REAL lucky to be alive. I hope she's checking out her six o'clock. Polar bears are known to stalk prey....and for them people ARE on the menu.
Ski-trek Briton scares off polar bear with gun
CHRIS COURT
A BRITON bidding to become the first woman to ski solo to the geographic North Pole has had to scare off a polar bear with her .44 Magnum pistol.
Ann Daniels, a 40-year-old mother of four, said on day nine of her trek: "I had a scary wake-up call this morning. I had just finished packing up my kit, and was halfway out of my sleeping bag, when a shadow passed across the tent.
"I unzipped the tent, pistol ready, and peered out. There was a big male bear eyeing up my tent. I fired one shot into the snow in front of him and one in the air as he retreated. I finished packing quickly and ran away, north."
Ms Daniels, from Whimple, Devon, said she had crossed 20 small "leads" - stretches of open water in the ice.
She has so far progressed 32 miles northwards on the constantly moving ice, with 488 miles to go.
Ms Daniels, pulling a 220lb sledge, set off from northern Siberia after bureaucratic delays held up her departure by 16 days. She was scheduled to be picked up by helicopter from the North Pole on 28 April, but that date has now been put back to 10 May. Her later finishing date means she will face the prospect of crossing more open water.
Ski-trek Briton scares off polar bear with gun
CHRIS COURT
A BRITON bidding to become the first woman to ski solo to the geographic North Pole has had to scare off a polar bear with her .44 Magnum pistol.
Ann Daniels, a 40-year-old mother of four, said on day nine of her trek: "I had a scary wake-up call this morning. I had just finished packing up my kit, and was halfway out of my sleeping bag, when a shadow passed across the tent.
"I unzipped the tent, pistol ready, and peered out. There was a big male bear eyeing up my tent. I fired one shot into the snow in front of him and one in the air as he retreated. I finished packing quickly and ran away, north."
Ms Daniels, from Whimple, Devon, said she had crossed 20 small "leads" - stretches of open water in the ice.
She has so far progressed 32 miles northwards on the constantly moving ice, with 488 miles to go.
Ms Daniels, pulling a 220lb sledge, set off from northern Siberia after bureaucratic delays held up her departure by 16 days. She was scheduled to be picked up by helicopter from the North Pole on 28 April, but that date has now been put back to 10 May. Her later finishing date means she will face the prospect of crossing more open water.