Sgt. Seth Michael Plant Cause Of Death, Obituary Not Yet Available – The soldier killed by a bear in an Alaska training location on Tuesday has been recognized by the Army. Staff Sgt. Seth Michael Plant, 30, was brought to the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson hospital, where he was declared deceased, according to the Army.
According to stripes.co, a second soldier was hurt in the incident and was taken to the hospital, but was treated and released, according to the Army. Plant, a member of the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, was operating in Training Region 412, a remote area of the joint camp, according to the Army.
The 673rd Security Forces Squadron, 673rd Civil Engineering Squadron Conservation Law Enforcement Officers, Alaska Wildlife Troopers, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game are all working together to investigate the attack, according to the Army.
“A brown bear approached the scene following the initial attack and the removal of US Army personnel,” the Fish and Game Department said in a news statement on Thursday. “Responding workers used bear spray, and the bear left the local area.”
Plant, a native of Saint Augustine, Fla., first served in the reserves at Fort Benning, Ga., and Fort Bragg, N.C., before joining the active-duty Army in January 2015. In July 2021, he arrived to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. “Staff Sgt. Plant was an important member of our team.” His unit commander, Lt. Col. David Nelson, said in an Army news release.
“He was a devoted and positive commander who instilled excitement and vitality in the paratroopers with whom he served,” Nelson added. “He always had a smile on his face, he always went above and beyond what was expected of him, and he was an example to everyone who knew him.”
Army Commendation Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Service Ribbon, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and Parachutist Badge are among his honours and decorations.
