The family of the hiker killed by a mountain lion last week in Northern Colorado says she died doing something she loved. The Larimer County Coroner’s Office confirmed on Monday that Kristen Marie Kovatch’s death last Thursday was caused by an attacking mountain lion. Their report states she died of asphyxia due to having her neck compressed. It was the first fatal attack in Colorado by a mountain lion on a human this century.
Kovatch was 46 and lived in Fort Collins. Her brother released a statement on Monday about her death that said, in part:
“She died doing something she loved deeply-hiking and taking in the beauty of Colorado and its public lands. Kristen was also an ultramarathon runner and someone who found joy and purpose in caring for animals. Her energy, compassion, and independence touched everyone who knew her, and her absence leaves an immeasurable void in our lives.”
Kovatch’s body was found in the middle of the day on Thursday by two hikers on a trail southeast of Glen Haven in Larimer County. A mountain lion was nearby and they threw rocks to scare it away. One of the hikers, a physician, attended to the victim but did not find a pulse…