​Success! Bear Family Reunited After Escaping Cistern

Written by AARON CASTREJON 
CityWatch Editor 

LA VERNE - A family of bears was reunited Saturday night, freed from a cistern in the La Verne foothills.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department worked with La Verne firefighters and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to cut away a section of the cement cistern. A ladder was lowered in to encourage an escape, according to Keith Navarre, public information officer for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

“We exited the area and each bear came up by itself,” Navarre told SGV CityWatch.

Three cubs and their mom became trapped in the cistern in the 6600 block of Stephens Ranch Road. A family of bicyclists happened to hear screaming from within the belly of the cement structure. They discovered the bears inside.

One of the bear cubs escaped by itself, leaving three creatures to be aided by Urban Search and Rescue Teams.

The three bears escaped on their own some time around 8 p.m., Navarre told SGV CityWatch.

A handful of firefighters remained on scene after the bears were freed to secure the scene.

“We were real cautious of the weather being so hot, because we were using rotary saws to cut into the cement. We were cautious about sending sparks somewhere, so we wet down the whole area around the cistern and kept units on scene,” Navarre told SGV CityWatch.

Navarre could not comment on if the cistern would be sealed over to prevent future mishaps, although he noted it is a valid concern.

“Our goal is to always protect life, property and environment. I think we accomplished that goal safely today. We kept our people safe, there’s no injuries and the bears got out of there safely.”

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