Marc Patterson

Marc Patterson rescued Colton T. G. Reeb from an attacking cougar, Clinton, British Columbia, August 1, 2007. Colton, 12, was camping with family friends when a 70-pound cougar attacked him, felling him and taking his head into its mouth. A member of his party, Patterson, 45, disabled construction worker, was alerted to the attack and responded immediately from nearby. Patterson kicked the cougar in the head repeatedly, but it would not release Colton. He then went to his knees, grasped the cougar by its neck, and applied pressure, causing it to release him. Colton fled to safety. Patterson and the cougar struggled on the ground briefly, the cougar then freeing itself. Patterson regained his footing as the cougar, just a few feet away, growled at him. He made gruff noises and waved his arms while backing away from the animal, and then he drove Colton to a police station. Colton was hospitalized for two weeks for treatment of puncture wounds and lacerations to his head that required nearly 300 sutures.