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A Scottish family has told how they feel “lucky to be alive” after a bear climbed into their car while they were on holiday in the US.
The Ferguson family, from Airdrie, had been staying in a rental cabin in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains when the shocking incident unfolded on Monday, reports The Record.
Grace Sloan, 18, was with her boyfriend Logan Ferguson, his parents and his aunt and uncle when the wild animal made its surprise appearance.
The family were packing up their car following a two-week road-trip across the southern states of America when the black bear climbed into the boot.
Glasgow teen Grace told the Record: “I was still in my room packing up my things and I suddenly heard screams of ‘Bear!’ coming from outside.
“Logan’s mum was shouting and I could see his dad Paul and his uncle Johnny in the car and a bear was right next to them.”
In footage of the ordeal, Johnny is seen fleeing the 4×4 as the nosey bear hauls cases out the car before jumping in the open boot and climbing through the vehicle.
But as Johnny made his escape, slamming shut the passenger door, the child lock activated, trapping Logan’s dad Paul inside.
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Grace continued: “Paul had to climb over into the front seats to escape.
“I’ve never seen sweat come off someone like that in my life. We were all panicking not knowing what to do.
“If the bear had hurt anyone, I don’t know what we would have done.
“I’m still shocked. It could have killed one of us and Paul and Johnny are lucky to be alive in that way.”
A video of the family’s close encounter has since racked up over one million views on TikTok.
In a bid to scare the bear away, the family can be seen triggering the car alarm.
The animal eventually scarpered, leaving behind a torn hat and a hole in a suitcase.
The family’s trip took them through Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans, North Carolina, and Alabama. Black bears are native to the state of Tennessee and can weigh anywhere from 200-600lbs.
Grace added: “We were lucky enough to see five bears on the whole trip, but the last one was by far the scariest. It was nerve wracking, but at least we all have a good story to tell.”
