10/16/2026
A 75-pound cougar lunged from the brush, locking its jaws around 60-year-old Keri Bergere’s face and dragging her into a ditch.
On a remote Washington trail, a peaceful bike ride turned into a brutal fight for survival. Instead of fleeing, four incredible women in their 50s and 60s mounted an unimaginable counter-attack.
They refused to let their friend die. Annie choked the predator while another grabbed its legs. The others fiercely battered the beast with rocks and sticks.
In a display of pure bravery, Annie even thrust her hand inside the cougar's mouth, desperately trying to pry its jaws apart.
For 15 agonizing minutes, they fought until Keri finally broke free.
But the battle wasn't over. As the cougar surged again, the women threw a bicycle over it, using their combined weight to pin the thrashing predator down for 30 grueling minutes until help arrived.
Nearby, Keri lay severely fractured and bleeding. When her friends shouted to see if she was alive, she raised a bloody thumb into the air.
Keri survived, and her fierce defenders were awarded the Carnegie Medal for extraordinary heroism. True friendship fights back.
