Cyclist survives surprising and serious attack by a goose
A cyclist in Ottawa, Canada is speaking out after surviving a serious attack by a Canada goose. As reported by CBC News, Kerry Surman was riding her bike on the Trans Canada Trail on June 10 and saw a gaggle of geese crossing the trail. Two adult Canada geese crossed with goslings and then another adult goose crossed shortly after. Surman thought that the coast was clear. “I think, ‘They’re going to be protective but I’m just going to zip by because they’ve all gone by,'" she recounted. "But I misjudged how quickly I was going. They thought that I was threatening them and the goose attacked me as I was riding my bike.” The cyclist continued explaining, "The last thing I remember is the wings came around my face, and I hear myself screaming and then I’m out.”
Ms. Surman said that when she awoke, she was lying on the ground and her face was swollen. She had a hard time getting up and to the main road, but eventually she was able to flag down Pastor Steve Wilkins, who was passing by. Wilkins called 911 and waited with Surman for the ambulance.
Surman spent five days in the hospital healing from a concussion, facial lacerations, a fractured cheekbone, severe vertigo, and loose teeth. She also walked away with “a very healthy respect for mother nature.” While the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources says that goose attacks are rare, the emergency room staff told Surman that they’re actually not that unheard of. Ms. Surman is speaking out to warn other cyclists, “You have to know that they are going to attack if they feel threatened.” The Canadian cyclist isn’t quite yet ready to return to riding, but says that she will exercise caution when she does.
Video and more info: CBC News
