Pigeon Forge black bears invade car of Florida family that fled Hurricane Irma

Amy McRary
Knoxville

Black bears invaded the car of a Palm Beach, Florida, family who fled to Pigeon Forge ahead of Hurricane Irma.

Travis Gonzalez, his wife Denisse, their three young sons and Travis' mother, Brenda, left Florida ahead of the September hurricane. After two days in the car, they finally got to a rental cabin in Pigeon Forge. They enjoyed a trip to Dollywood and went fishing.

Then, on Sept. 11, the last day the family was in Tennessee, the bears came. 

Eight-year-old Sebastian Gonzalez went outdoors to walk the family Yorkie but returned quickly. He told his father there were bears on the roof of Brenda Gonzalez's Chevy Tahoe.

"I didn't believe him. I said, 'OK, sure whatever,' " Travis Gonzalez said Wednesday. 

A family got a surprise when they went out to their car one day and found two bears locked inside. They were visiting Pigeon Forge from Florida after Hurricane Irma came through Florida.

"Then my mom looked and said, 'There's bears in the car.' I said, 'You've got to be kidding me. First on the roof, now in the car. I go outside and I see them moving around (in the car) a little bit."

A mama bear and a cub managed to open an unlocked car door and crawl inside, perhaps attracted by the smell of fish on the family fishing gear. The bears had managed to shut the door — and lock themselves in. 

Gonzalez made two efforts to open the front passenger car door and run before the bears left. A video shows he was successful the second time as the bears exit the vehicle. They did damage the car, including ripping up the front passenger seat and console. 

A family got a surprise when they went out to their car one day and found two bears locked inside. They were visiting Pigeon Forge from Florida after Hurricane Irma came through Florida.

Later, the family saw all five black bears together. The next day, they headed back home to Florida, stopping at a Georgia motel. Back home, they found only minor damage from Irma.

Gonzalez said the family will likely return to Pigeon Forge. "It's a nice place, and I'm sure we'll be back there one day." 

But his children can do without another bear encounter. "They didn't like it at all. They grabbed their toys and stayed locked in the closet the rest of the time there."