Harrowing footage shows a black bear pursuing an 11-year-old boy into a Pennsylvania dollar store, according to reports.
Cole Frazee was checking on his father while he shopped at a Family Dollar in Markleysburg when he suddenly spotted a black bear staring at him, CBS Pittsburgh reported.
Before he could react, the massive bear charged after him into the store, forcing Cole to scramble for safety.
A black bear chased 11-year-old Cole Frazee into a Family Dollar in Pennsylvania.
Seconds after Frazee and the cashier made a run for it, the massive bear leapt over the store counter.
“When it ran after me, I turned around, sprinted into the store, and was screaming,” Frazee told CBS Pittsburgh. “It was only about a foot and a half away from me.”
“I thought, ‘I’m probably going to get eaten by a bear,’” the 11-year-old recalled. “I veered left, and the bear went straight.”
Frazee dashed through the aisles in a desperate attempt to escape and ran toward the cashier, the only other person in the store. The two climbed onto the counter and bolted out the door the moment the bear turned away.
“She grabbed her coat, keys, and phone, and we ran out,” Frazee said. “Once outside, we all got in the car.”
Surveillance footage obtained by CBS Pittsburgh captured the bear soaring over the front counter just seconds after they fled. The video shows the enormous animal towering over the stocked counter before landing back on the floor.
The bear roamed the store for about 10 minutes before eventually making its way out, the outlet reported.
“I was relieved,” Frazee said. “It was definitely a crazy experience.”
For context, a large male black bear can weigh up to 600 pounds, while females rarely exceed 200 pounds, according to the National Wildlife Federation.
With bears actively foraging for food this time of year, the Pennsylvania Game Commission warned that such encounters can be both sudden and dangerous.
