Éric Fortier rescued Alain Parenteau and Patricia Doyon from an attacking polar bear, Kimmirut, Nunavut, July 27, 2001. Parenteau, 31, and Ms. Doyon, 25, were camping in a subarctic territorial park on Baffin Island when a polar bear slashed their tent as they slept. They attempted to flee, but the bear attacked them, taking Parenteau to the ground and mauling him. Fortier, 32, orthodontist, responded from his nearby tent and threw a large rock at the bear. The bear ceased its attack on Parenteau but turned on Ms. Doyon and began to maul her. Armed only with a pocketknife, Fortier charged the bear and stabbed it three times about the neck before the bear ceased its attack on Ms. Doyon and ambled away. The group boarded their canoes and set off for the nearest settlement, seven miles away. Parenteau and Ms. Doyon were taken by helicopter to a hospital, where they were detained for treatment of their injuries, Parenteau requiring surgery. Authorities searched for the bear without success.
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