According to Polish media, the victim was on the phone to her son when the attack occurred. She is said to have screamed down the phone, cried out “bear! bear!” and then the line cut out.
The son called the emergency services but by the time they found the victim she had already died, having suffered serious head injuries and lacerations.
“Just as the bear attacked the 58-year-old woman, her 27-year-old companion had stepped away for a moment. When he returned and saw that she was injured, he called for help,” Sgt Anna Oleniacz, a Polish police officer, told news outlet Onet.
Another son of the victim told Polish broadcaster TVN24: “She must have stepped on it. When a bear lies down, it’s like a mound of dark earth. Once it hits, there’s no escape.”
Local prosecutors say there is no evidence suggesting a cause of death other than a bear attack, and the mother had been collecting antlers with her son when the incident occurred.
According to comments reported by the BBC, brown bears awaken from hibernation during the spring and are more likely to come into contact with humans while foraging for food.
“At this time of year, bears that have awakened from their winter sleep come to places like this, close to human homes, in search of food. This was an unexpected encounter for both the bear and the human,” said Wojciech Jankowski, a spokesman for the Lesko forest district.
Wildlife experts say that the key to surviving a bear encounter is to remain calm and not to run away, as the bear will give chase and attack.
Instead, walkers should back away slowly while talking in a calm voice. It is also recommended that walkers carry bear spray.