REDWAY, Calif., Oct. 19 (UPI) -- A black bear ate the body of a man who died of a heart attack last week outside his home in Humbolt County, authorities say.

Marion Lee Williams, 65, was checking nearby water supplies outside his trailer in the remote community of Briceland when he suffered a heart attack and died, according to Humboldt County Deputy Coroner Roy Horton.


Williams lived alone. His remains were discovered in a black bear's cave five days later by friends who noticed he had been missing since Oct. 8. Authorities were able to identify Williams by his clothing, fingerprints and dentures.

Horton said that a local black bear propably happened upon Williams after the cardiac arrest and dragged his body into its den.

Efforts to capture and possibly euthanize the bear were eventually called off because it was unlikely that the animal was still in the area, according to Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Andrew Hughan.

"The bear does not pose a public threat," Hughan said. "It was just doing what bears do."

Hughan noted that there are no reported cases of black bears attacking humans in California.

Cases of the larger, more aggressive grizzly bear attacking humans, however, are not uncommon.