A Narrow Escape: 11-Year-Old’s Harrowing Encounter with a Black Bear

In a heart-stopping incident that could have ended tragically, young Cole Frazee narrowly escaped a potentially deadly encounter with a black bear in a small Pennsylvania town. What began as a routine trip to a Family Dollar store in Markleysburg quickly transformed into a terrifying chase that tested the 11-year-old’s survival instincts. The incident, captured on surveillance footage, serves as a stark reminder of the unexpected wildlife encounters that can occur even in seemingly safe environments, especially during seasons when bears are actively searching for food. Cole’s story, which fortunately ended without physical harm, highlights both the resilience of a young boy faced with danger and the increasing frequency of human-wildlife interactions as development continues to encroach on natural habitats.

Cole had merely stepped outside to check on his father, who was taking longer than expected while shopping, when he suddenly found himself face-to-face with a hulking black bear. There was no time to process what was happening—the moment their eyes met, the bear began charging toward him. With remarkable presence of mind for someone so young, Cole immediately turned and sprinted into the Family Dollar store, screaming for help as the massive animal followed just steps behind. “The thing was like a foot and a half away from me,” Cole later recounted, his voice still carrying the tremor of that terrifying moment. “I was like, ‘I’m probably going to get eaten by a bear.'” In those seconds, which must have felt like an eternity, Cole made a split-second decision that may have saved his life—he took a sharp left turn while the bear continued straight ahead, buying himself precious moments to find safety.

The store became an impromptu maze of survival as Cole raced up and down the aisles, desperately seeking escape from the pursuing predator. Finding the cashier—the only other person in the store at that moment—the two quickly realized their precarious situation. With remarkable coordination born of shared fear, they jumped onto the counter and managed to dash out the doors at precisely the moment the bear turned away. “She grabbed her coat, the keys and the phone and we ran out of there. When we ran out of there, we all got in the car,” Cole explained, describing their hasty retreat to safety. The surveillance footage later revealed just how narrow their escape had been, capturing the massive bear effortlessly hurdling over the front counter mere seconds after they had fled, its powerful form towering over the displays of merchandise before dropping back to the floor with surprising agility for such a large animal.

For approximately ten minutes, the bear roamed freely throughout the store, investigating this strange human environment filled with unfamiliar scents and objects. Store footage shows the animal navigating between aisles, occasionally rising on its hind legs to investigate shelves—a sobering reminder of both its power and curiosity. Fortunately, the bear eventually found its way out of the store without causing significant damage or encountering anyone else. “I was relieved,” Cole said afterward. “It was definitely a crazy experience.” This understatement from the young boy belies the genuine danger he faced. According to the National Wildlife Federation, adult male black bears can weigh up to a staggering 600 pounds, while females typically reach around 200 pounds—either presenting a potentially lethal threat to a child or adult if threatened or cornered.

Wildlife experts from the Pennsylvania Game Commission noted that the timing of this incident coincides with a period when bears are actively searching for food, preparing for the coming winter months. This biological imperative makes them both more likely to venture into populated areas and more persistent in their food-seeking behaviors. The bears’ enhanced sense of smell—which can detect food from miles away—draws them toward human settlements where unsecured trash, bird feeders, pet food, or other attractants might provide easy meals. Such encounters, while relatively rare, have become more common as human development continues to expand into areas that were once exclusively wildlife habitat. This intersection of human and animal territories creates inevitable conflicts that require both public education and appropriate wildlife management strategies.

Cole’s extraordinary experience serves as a powerful reminder about wildlife safety, especially in communities that border natural areas. While black bears are not typically aggressive toward humans and usually prefer to avoid contact, they can become dangerous when surprised, protecting cubs, or conditioned to associate humans with food sources. The Pennsylvania Game Commission recommends that residents in bear country secure potential food attractants, make noise while hiking to avoid surprising bears, and never approach or feed wild bears under any circumstances. For Cole Frazee, this frightening encounter has become a story of survival that he’ll carry throughout his life—a testament to quick thinking under extreme pressure and a powerful reminder of the wild nature that still exists alongside our ordered human world. As he reflected on his close call with characteristic youthful resilience: “It was definitely a crazy experience”—perhaps the most understated description possible for coming within inches of one of North America’s largest predators.