The final moments of a hiker who tragically fell to his death after a bear encounter have been captured in chilling footage. Christos Stavrianidis, aged 61, was walking in the Fratko forest in northern Greece with a friend when a large brown bear approached them. In the video recorded by Christos, he can be heard shouting for his friend Dimitris as the bear closed in on them.

Despite Christos’s desperate calls for help, he ultimately fell 2,600 feet from a cliff edge, leading to his untimely death. Dimitris recounted their day trip to the forest, where they had visited the wreckage of a downed Greek warplane before the tragic incident unfolded.

Dimitris described the intense moment when the bear attacked Christos, who bravely used a small spray to fend off the animal before falling into the ravine. The bear’s sudden aggression took them both by surprise, with the dog accompanying them briefly intervening before the bear retreated.

The bear, described as a “huge” adult male, displayed defensive behavior according to a spokesman from Greek wildlife organization Arcturos. Despite the tragic outcome, it was noted that the bear was likely reacting out of perceived threat rather than outright aggression.

Following the incident on June 8, Christos Stavrianidis’s funeral took place four days later, with a forensic report confirming his instantaneous death upon the fall. The harrowing encounter serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by wildlife encounters in natural environments.