Torstein Røisgaard had perhaps the ultimate fishing tale to tell after a routine trip ended with a major bear scare early Tuesday morning.
Røisgaard, from Notodden, had headed out for a late-night fishing trip to Trolltjønn near Smådøla in the mountain valley of Numedal. Suddenly he saw a large brown bear standing by a small river only 50 meters away.
Røisgaard, an experienced outdoorsman, knew well enough to back away slowly until he felt it was safe to start running. He headed for a boathouse and was forced to scramble up on its roof, with the bear following close behind.
But then the bear didn’t leave. For three long hours, Røisgaard sat on the roof while the bear kept wandering around below, apparently attracted by the scent of fresh fish.
“Of course I was scared, and the adrenalin was kicking in,” Røisgaard told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK).
Røisgaard was finally rescued by a Sea King helicopter that plucked him off the roof around 4am on Tuesday. The bear wandered off and the fishing trip also ended happily. A fishing pole he’d left anchored in the lake was later found with quite a catch.
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