Boy, 10, Killed by Mountain Lion

GRAND LAKE, Colo. —  As his family watched in horror, a 10-year-old boy was dragged away by a mountain lion who attacked and killed him as the group returned from a hike in a national park.

Mark Miedema was hiking several minutes ahead of his parents and 6-year-old sister Thursday in Rocky Mountain National Park, spokesman Doug Caldwell said.

“What we think may have happened--and this is pure theory--is that unfortunately Mark came along . . . when the lion was in a hunting mode,” Caldwell said.

Mark’s parents, Kathy and David Miedema, were able to scare the 88-pound mountain lion away, and Kathy Miedema--a registered nurse--tried to revive her son. A fellow hiker was able to call for help, but rescue efforts failed. The lion, a female without cubs, eventually was tracked down and killed.

Caldwell said two other people have been attacked by mountain lions in the park in the last two years. One was scratched on the arm and the other was chased up a tree.