Thai berry picker Am Saisuk, 46, cheated death after a bear mauled her in northern Sweden. Her split-second decision to “play dead” saved her life, triggering emergency surgery, an overnight police hunt and a workplace accident investigation.
A routine day harvesting wild cloudberries in northern Sweden turned into a desperate fight for survival when a Thai seasonal worker was mauled by a bear only metres from safety. Her split-second decision to “play dead” saved her life, triggering emergency surgery, an overnight police hunt to destroy the animal and a separate workplace accident investigation into one of Sweden’s rarest and most shocking wildlife attacks involving a berry picker.
A Thai woman is recovering in hospital after surviving a violent bear attack while picking wild cloudberries in northern Sweden. After the mauling, police launched an overnight hunt for the animal. However, officers later abandoned the operation after failing to locate the bear. Separately, police opened a workplace accident investigation because the victim was reportedly working when she was attacked.
The victim was identified as 46-year-old Am Saisuk. The attack happened on Friday evening in Lycksele Municipality, Västerbotten County. According to Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, she had spent the day gathering cloudberries, known locally as hjortron.
Thai berry picker mauled by bear after routine cloudberry harvest ends in seconds in Swedish forest
She filled her bucket as usual before walking back to her car. She intended to empty the berries and return to the forest for another round.
Instead, the routine trip ended in seconds.
Am was walking alone through the rain. She was only about 90 metres from the road. Suddenly, a bear appeared directly in front of her. According to her partner, Sunan Phiankham, everything unfolded almost instantly. The bear lunged without warning. It bit her three times before she had any chance to escape. As a result, she suffered serious injuries to her head and both hands.
Faced with the attack, Am made a split-second decision. According to Sunan, she stopped moving and pretended to be dead. She later said she was too shocked to think clearly. Fortunately, the tactic worked. After she lay motionless, the bear turned away and disappeared into the forest.
Moments later, other berry pickers reached the scene. They found the badly injured woman and immediately came to her aid. They brought her to medical personnel before she was transferred for emergency treatment. She was later taken to Umeå University Hospital, where surgeons operated on her injuries. Following the operation, her condition improved.
Woman recovering after surgery as police launch overnight hunt for bear responsible for brutal attack
According to Sunan, she is receiving excellent medical care. Moreover, he said doctors expect to transfer her to a hospital closer to their home within days if her recovery continues. The couple have lived in Sweden for almost 20 years. Nevertheless, they had never experienced anything remotely similar during nearly two decades in the country.
Sunan believes the bear was probably a mother protecting cubs nearby. However, police have not confirmed that assessment.
In response to the attack, the hospital notified police at about 10 p.m. on Friday. Given the seriousness of the injuries, officers immediately launched a major wildlife operation. Specialist teams searched forests around the attack site throughout the night and into Saturday morning. Their objective was clear. They intended to locate the bear responsible and destroy it if it could be positively identified.
Despite the extensive search, the animal was never found. Consequently, police suspended the operation on Saturday. Officers explained that several bears inhabit the surrounding forests. Therefore, they needed certainty before authorising the destruction of any animal. They stressed they would not risk killing the wrong bear. For that reason, no further search is currently planned.
Attack shocks berry pickers as police probe workplace safety and suspend wildlife search
The attack occurred in the forest between Norrbyberg and Gravmark, several dozen kilometres northwest of Lycksele. Notably, the incident has drawn widespread attention across Sweden because attacks on humans remain exceptionally rare. Bear encounters involving seasonal berry pickers are rarer still.
Tobias Höglander, the police hunting and wildlife coordinator in Västerbotten, said most bear attacks occur during hunting activities. By contrast, incidents involving berry pickers are highly unusual.
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Every summer, thousands of seasonal workers travel to Sweden’s forests for the berry harvest. Many come from Thailand. They gather cloudberries, blueberries and lingonberries during the short northern season. As a result, news of the attack has spread rapidly through the seasonal workforce.
In parallel, police have begun examining the incident as a possible workplace accident. Investigators are reviewing the circumstances because Am was reportedly working when the attack occurred. That inquiry is separate from the wildlife investigation.
For now, Am remains under medical care as she recovers from surgery. According to Sunan, her condition continues to improve. If everything proceeds as planned, she will soon be transferred to a hospital closer to home for further treatment.
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