SAN JOSE — Authorities recently airlifted a stranded hiker who was reportedly frightened by a mountain lion along a trail in the Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve.

The female hiker reportedly encountered a mountain lion on Aug. 27 about 60 feet in front of her on or near the Boccardo Loop Trail while visiting the nature preserve, according to a statement from the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. She reportedly turned around and walked away, although she told authorities the mountain lion started to follow her.

After interviewing the woman and studying the encounter, officials determined that the wild animal did move 1 to 2 feet toward her, but did not stalk her or exhibit any dangerous behavior.

“While the movement of the lion towards her is understandably upsetting, the lack of other behaviors like crouching or following her for any sustained period of time is suggestive of typical and not aggressive lion behavior,” Aaron Hébert, natural resources manager for the Open Space Authority, wrote in an online post.

The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office deployed a helicopter to rescue the woman, who reportedly found safety along the trail until help arrived.

“The exhibited behavior does not warrant prolonged trail closures or capture and relocation with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife,” Hébert said. “Running into mountain lions is often a scary experience for visitors and we want to do everything we can to co-exist with each other.”

Officials said the hiker was not injured.

In the past decade, the Bay Area has had two confirmed mountain lion attacks on people, both children: a 6-year-old girl at Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve in 2020 and a 5-year-old boy near Half Moon Bay in 2023.

The Open Space Authority offered the following information about mountain lion sightings online:

For more information on preserve hours, trails and wildlife safety information, visit www.openspace authority.org.