An absolute nightmare scenario that this Canadian cyclist handled incredibly well.
When you are out and about in bear country, there’s always a chance that you could have a scary run in with one of the apex predators. This cyclist in British Columbia was just trying to enjoy a beautiful, scenic sunset when he came within inches of a black bear that was also in the area.
As the story goes, a man named Brenden Bailey had taken a break on a pedestrian bridge that crosses across a body of water to take in the majestic scenery right around dusk. There’s nothing wrong with taking a moment to really get in touch with nature, right? That is as long as you are cool with nature really flexing its muscle and sending a wild black bear your way.
Bailey had parked his bike just off to the side of the bridge, and was leaning up against the railing of the bridge when he heard something. The cyclist turned around to see that he wasn’t the only one on the bridge as the sun was setting. Horrifyingly, the man was actually on the same platform as a black bear… and he had nowhere to go.
Typically, you want to avoid bear attacks – if one is right up next to you and it’s a last resort – by standing tall and speaking in a low, loud voice. The Canadian cyclist could barely muster a noise as he got his phone out to record the black bear as it got closer and close to him on the bridge.
If you are wondering if it’s weird for a bear (or any wild animal) to utilize a bridge for humans, it’s not at all. Bears will actually tend to use trails that have been carved out by humans, and other creatures like bison are often seen traveling on man-man roadways. Why? Because they are easier to traverse, and why would wild animals try to make things harder on themselves?
This black bear found a way across the water that doesn’t involve swimming and took it. There just so happened to be a human on the bridge too, but as you’ll see, the animal wasn’t interested in the cyclist. It was just trying to get from point A to point B, and Brenden Bailey was lucky that the black bear wasn’t looking for a meal.
Hilariously, the cyclist snapped a video selfie of himself while it was all going down, as you can see in the video below:
“A cyclist who stopped on a pedestrian bridge to enjoy a pretty sunset in British Columbia was not expecting this close encounter with a bear.”
Seems like a pretty natural reaction to me.
The Canadian cyclist also got lucky that the bear decided not to mess with his bike. That could have made for one long walk back to wherever he was going… but most importantly, Brenden Bailey remained in one piece himself, and was able to share this video with the world after his incredibly close call.
Social media users could barely believe the footage:
Dude! Even my heart’s pounding.
— Richard (@Richard20610046) June 5, 2026
At least the bear left the bike.
— George Snyder (@georoc01) June 5, 2026
Black bears get a bad rap. They are not normally vicious. Most of the time, pretty easy going. Not the same as a Grizzley!
— Miriclaire (@Miridunn) June 5, 2026
Always yield to the rule of tonnage! Big guys go 1st.
— Brett…. (@brettbdj40) June 5, 2026
I love that he got a ridiculous selfie shot in. His face says it all. 😂🤣😂
— Chaaluna (@TheOneChaaluna) June 5, 2026
