Ottawa cyclist Kerry Shurman had no idea what was in store for her during a leisurely ride on the Trans Canada trail between Stittsville and Carleton Place.
All was going well until a family of seemingly harmless geese appeared on the trail before her and suddently all hell broke loose!
After giving the waterfowl some space, Shurman thought she’d just ‘zip past’ them and on her way but somehow misjudged how fast she was pedalling, or perhaps she startled the geese.
In a split second the final goose in the group, which appeared larger and evidently more agressive than the rest, was up in her face faster than you can say cooked goose!
The forlorn fowl wrapped its wings around Shurman’s head, as she recalls, and the next thing she remembered was lying on the ground in pain unable to get up!
Fortunately another cyclist happened-by and brought the dazed and badly injured cyclist to seek medical attention.
Kelly Shurman suffered a concussion, face lacerations, a fractured cheekbone and a loose tooth! She spend 5-days in the hospital before being released.
It just goes to prove, you never know what an animal is capable of until they’re on top pounding the pickles out of you!
A Canada Goose though? Who’d a thunk it!
As a footnote to this story, reports say that while lying injured beside the bike path, Shurman also contracted poison ivy! (If being attacked by a goose wasn’t bad enough)
Outdoorsguy