The father of hockey player Andrei Kuzmenko died after an hour of fighting with a bear
Quick Look
- NHL forward Andrei Kuzmenko's father, Alexander Kuzmenko, fought a bear in the water for more than an hour and survived, but later died from his injuries at age 62.
- After his death, Andrei changed his jersey number to 62 and returned to training with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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Why It Matters
Andrey Kuzmenko is a Russian hockey player who plays in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins club. His father Alexander Kuzmenko died as a result of a bear attack while fishing in Tuva.
The father of NHL Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko, Alexander Kuzmenko, struggled in the water with a bear that attacked him for more than an hour and survived.
Alexander Kuzmenko died from severe injuries received as a result of a bear attack; he was 62 years old.
After the death of his father, Andrei Kuzmenko changed his jersey number to 62 and returned to training in Pittsburgh.
MOSCOW, October 2 - RIA Novosti. Forward of the National Hockey League (NHL) Pittsburgh Penguins Andrei Kuzmenko said that his father Alexander Kuzmenko fought in the water for more than an hour with a bear that attacked him.
On September 24, the head of the State Committee for Fishery Supervision of Tuva, Artysh Salchak, told RIA Novosti about the death of a tourist from Moscow as a result of a bear attack; the tragic incident occurred on September 22. The tourist received severe facial injuries and was taken by air ambulance to the republican hospital, where he died. Later it became known that Kuzmenko’s father was killed. The coach's funeral took place on September 28; he was 62 years old.
“I’m always honest and don’t want any fables to be spread, because the truth is important to me. I want to tell you about everything once. My father went fishing with friends. He was standing in the water when a bear attacked him from behind. My father fought the bear in the water for an hour and ten minutes and still survived; for two days he suffered a severe shock,” the Pittsburgh website quotes Kuzmenko as saying.
On Friday, Pittsburgh announced that Kuzmenko had returned to training after leaving for Moscow. He joined the club in July as a free agent and took number 10, but after the death of his father he changed it to 62.
“As for hockey: I’m glad to be back in Pittsburgh. I’m happy, I miss everyone. I’m returning to reality, to my work - we will continue to work. I really miss hockey, especially after last season, when I received two injuries,” the athlete added.
Open Questions
- Were measures taken after the incident to prevent similar occurrences?
- Did Andrei Kuzmenko receive psychological support after the tragedy?
- What kind of bear attacked Alexander Kuzmenko?
