Peter Basinger was at the right place at the right time when he came across a mountain bike dumped in the bushes along a Far North Bicentennial Park trail early Sunday morning. While many in his position would have panicked upon finding a person sitting in the middle of the Rover's Run trail covered in blood at 1:30 a.m., Basinger reacted calmly and efficiently to get care to young Petra Davis.

Basinger has known the 15-year-old girl for years. In fact, he coached her on skiing when she was in Anchorage Junior Nordic. However, when Basinger discovered her, Davis was unidentifiable with a face masked in blood.

Davis motioned over her shoulder, in the direction of the Gasline Corridor near the Hilltop Ski Area, and said the word "Bear." Basinger interpreted this as Davis warning him that the bear was still nearby, so he picked her up and ran down the trail toward a stand of cottowood trees to gain some sense of safety.

Acting quickly Basinger determined his course of action. He realized that it would be impossible to carry the girl to the staging area of the 24-hour race, which the two had been participating in, because the bear may have remained in the area. Davis handed Basinger a cell phone she had been holding, but as he tried to dial 911, he discovered that the keypad was locked. As he wrestled with the phone, he realized that the girl was Davis, a South High student and an accomplished junior rider on the Kaladi-Subway Cycling Team.

As she unlocked the phone for him, Basinger elevated her feet and cradled her head to brace against the impending shock.

Basinger dialed 911 with the unlocked phone. A recorded message indicated that the phone couldn't connect to the number. Davis had to unlock the phone again, but to no avail, as Basinger received the same message. After the phone was unlocked a third time, Basinger called an old friend, Greg Matyas, one of the organizers of the bike race and the person in charge of the Elmore aid station. Basigner informed Matyas that Davis had been mauled by a bear and was unable to get ahold of emergency services.

Davis was now fortunate to have two experienced trail riders orchestrate rescue attempts. Basinger and Matyas both have intimate knowledge of the trails and were able to explain exactly where Basinger and Davis were.

As Matyas and an EMT volunteer made their way toward the attack scene, Matyas placed a 911 call and gave dispacthers Davis's cell number.

As Basinger worked to steer Anchorage Fire Department personnel to his location, dispatchers gave him first-aid advice.

After ten minutes of this, Basinger and Davis were joined by fellow racer Will Ross. Ross's first impressions of the scene were that a bike crash had occurred, but that shortly changed after Basinger yelled that there had been a bear mauling. Basinger then told Ross to go meet the paramedics on Campbell Airstrip Road and guide them to the scene.

With the weight of the incident now resting on Ross's shoulders as well, he peddled like a man being chased by the devil and began screaming at the top of his lungs when he saw the paramedics flashing lights tear past him on the road.

Apparently the ambulance missed him, but upon arriving in the parking lot, Ross was greeted by Matyas and the EMT who had just arrived via car from Elmore Road. Matyas and the EMT took off down the trail, while Ross stayed behind to flag down the ambulance.

Even with the ambulance in close proximity to the incident, little could be done, as the EMTs had to wait for Anchorage police to arrive and provide an armed escort. At that point though Matyas and the EMT named Eric, were at the scene providing further aid to Davis.

From the time when Basinger made initial contact with dispatchers to her paramedic escort from the scene, 45 minutes had passed. In that time EMT personnel were able to bring Davis's bleeding under control.

By the 13th hour the race was called off, however riders were only concerned with Davis's condition.

According to an e-mail sent Monday by her parents, March and Darcy Davis, family, friends and the local bike community were told that their daughter suffered lacerations and punctures to her neck, right shoulder, torso, buttocks and right thigh.

Davis has already been through three surgeries, including emergency surgery to repair a carotid artery that almost caused her to bleed to death.

She faces a tough road ahead, with a long slow recovery.