(May 10, 2007)—A Dallas man who was chased by a black bear while on a hiking trip in New Mexico’s Sandia Mountains is back home with a story to tell.

As he ran Steve Middleton was able to use his cell phone to call 911 for help.

"I was about an hour into my hike and saw something to my left, and there was a bear, and I said, 'Uh-oh, this is not good,'" Steve told KTVT-TV.

When Middleton first saw the bear he says he froze in his tracks and the animal appeared to be walking away.

But when he looked back the bear was running toward him.

Middleton ran and screamed at the bear to go away.

Eventually it did, after getting within six feet of the hiker and standing upright.

"I was very scared," he said. "I thought he was going to lunge at me."

Instead the bear walked away for a second time and that’s when Middleton called 911.

Moments later, however, the chase was on again.

This time Middleton threw a rock in the direction of the bear, which “just kind of lost interest and then walked up the hill.”

Middleton was tired—and he was lost, but twwo hours later he met up with a pair of park rangers who escorted him to safety.

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