Cyclist who survived cougar attack had face trapped in cat's bite for 15 minutes before other riders used bike to pin animal down

More details have emerged about the incident in the United States last month which saw a group of five cyclists attacked by a mountain lion, the animal shot by a ranger after it had been pinned to the ground by the riders who used a mountain bike to overpower it.

Keri McCorkle suffered severe trauma to her face as well as permanent nerve damage after the cougar latched onto her lower jaw, keeping her head in its bite for 15 minutes while the other riders tried to free her by hitting the big cat with a rock and a multi-tool. The 60-year-old cyclist tried pushing her fingers into the cougar's eyes and nose, she was eventually freed after the animal tried to reposition its bite, giving her a second to escape.

More than $70,000 has been raised for Ms McCorkle who faces "a lifelong battle and a long road ahead to recovery", with donated funds going towards medical expenses, her daughters Kendal and Alexa have said.

> "I saw this cat run towards me": Californian mountain biker survives stand-off with cougar

She underwent surgery at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and has been recovering at home since, the family praising the "heroic" actions of her ride companions who fought off and pinned down the cougar before the authorities arrived and it was shot.

The son-in-law of one of the women told Meat Eater the group was split in two when the attack happened, two riders around 60 metres behind the front trio.

"Two cougars walked behind the group of three, and at the last second, one of the cougars decided to turn and jump on the lady who was at the rear of that group," he said. "Everyone freaked out and froze up, but my mother-in-law pointed at one of her friends and said, 'I need you to call 911. We need an ambulance and somebody with a gun'."

An extraordinary image published by the wildlife website shows the cat, a 34kg male animal of just under a year in age, trapped beneath one of the group's bikes.

A spokesperson for the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Police commented: "It is rather remarkable, and we are very thankful, an officer was in that exact remote area patrolling the timberland for illegal activity and could respond so quickly.

"In addition, our officer who first responded is also one of our first aid/CPR instructors and is a wilderness first responder, highly trained to provide medical aid in remote locations. Thankfully, the folks on the ground took immediate action to help the victim which is nothing short of heroic."

Following lab tests on the animal, the authorities announced that it had been "in good health and body condition with no evidence of significant diseases or abnormalities that would affect its behaviour". 

Writing on the fundraising page, McCorkle's family said it was the "quick thinking" of her "courageous friends" that saved her life.

"We are forever grateful to them all," they said. "As far as her injuries, she has experienced severe trauma to her face as well as permanent nerve damage. It will be a lifelong battle and a long road ahead to recovery. Her mindset is positive and she hopes to get back on her bike one day soon!"

In 2018, a cyclist called S.J. Brooks was killed while mountain biking near the Washington state city of Snoqualmie. The 32-year-old was riding the trails with a friend when they were attacked, the second cyclist needing surgery for severe lacerations and bites to the head, neck and face.

Officials later tracked down the animal involved, a male aged three or four years and weighing 100 pounds (45kg), and shot it dead. When officers arrived it was found standing over the body of the dead cyclist. A police official said the pair realised they were being chased "so they stopped and they made a lot of noise, which is exactly what we counsel people to do".

"The two victims then took a minute and were catching their breath about this amazing, incredibly scary event that just occurred and suddenly the victim was attacked again by this cougar. It latched onto his head," they said.

The animal then pursued the other man, who was trying to escape by running into the woods.