Jamie Kirk and two other Glendora residents were running on the 5-Mile Loop Trail in La Verne when they heard a noise coming from a cistern in Marshall Canyon Regional Park. The California Bear Family Water Tank Rescue ended late Saturday night after crews freed a mother black bear and her three cubs from the water-filled tank.
Jamie Kirk said, “We heard this howling, whimpering noise and couldn't figure out where it was coming from.” He said the group looked through an opening and saw the mother bear inside, with water around her and the cubs trapped nearby. The bears were found around 8 a.m. Saturday, and all three remaining animals were declared safe around 10 p.m.
Marshall Canyon Regional Park
Crews from the Urban Search and Rescue team worked with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to drain the tank and pull the bears out. Officials widened the small vent hole the animals had fallen through and placed a ladder inside so they could climb out, while the Fire Department shared video of one bear hoisting itself to the top of the tank before jumping into bushes.
One cub escaped on its own before help arrived, leaving the mother bear and the other two cubs in the cistern until crews reached them. Jamie Kirk said, “It was full of water, so she had to basically stand up and lean on the wall to stay out of the water.” He also said, “They could have been in there a couple days for as long as we know,” and that the mother bear was moaning loudly while waiting for help.
La Verne Saturday
The rescue happened during a dangerous heat wave in Los Angeles, and La Verne reached 97 degrees on Saturday. Officials said the bears may have entered the tank because they were thirsty. The water tank is now being secured so other wildlife does not end up trapped there again.
