ASHEVILLE, NC – A North Carolina family simply looking to stay safe and dry during Hurricane Florence were instead treated to a rare bear encounter.
Nicole Minkin Lissenden and her family were at her parents house in Asheville over the weekend when a bear made its way inside their van.
Lissenden said the doors on the van were closed, but unlocked. After the bear opened the door and got inside the vehicle, a friend let Lissenden know one of the doors was open; so she went outside and closed it, not knowing what was inside until seeing a paw print on the window.
Now locked inside, the bear became agitated and set off the van alarm and rocking it back and forth. The family called police after a failed attempt to open the doors using a remote.
Lissenden's husband made the decision to run outside and open the car door, which would then open the windows slightly. He made it back inside the house right as the bear smashed the window and crawled out to safety.
The bear ripped apart the entire inside of the van, tearing apart seats and carseats.
Incredibly enough, Lissenden says after the bear left the car, he walked into a neighbor's kitchen.