Army veteran miraculously survives grizzly bear attack with stroke of luck that saved his life of 'most violent' plight ever



A Massachusetts man was severely injured in a gruesome bear attack at a Wyoming national park, which he described as the "most violent" plight in his life. However, the Army veteran miraculously survived the bear mauling by an astonishing stroke of luck.

Shayne Patrick Burke – a 35-year-old military veteran from Massachusetts – was hiking up Signal Mountain in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park last Sunday. He was "looking to photograph a Great Grey Owl."

Burke said he noticed a bear cub near him and knew that it "wasn’t good."

All of the sudden, he was confronted with a "surprise encounter" with a mother grizzly bear who came "charging toward him."

He attempted to shout at the bear to try to deter a confrontation.

"I had a really uncomfortable feeling. I was breaking branches, singing, and talking to myself aloud. These are something’s that can help prevent a 'surprise encounter' with a brown bear," Burke said.

"When she pounced I opted to turn and give her my back and I laid down in the prone position on my belly and braced for the ride, interlocking my hands behind my neck to protect my vitals," he wrote in an Instagram post.

The grizzly bear first chomped and slashed his back and right shoulder.

The bear chewed on the leg of Burke, then picked him up, and slammed him on the ground multiple times.

The mother bear allegedly bit his leg from his buttocks to his inner knee about three times.

"I believe she went in for a kill bite on my neck. I still had my hands interlocked and my arms protecting my carotid arteries. I never let go of the bear spray can," Burke explained.

Suddenly, Burke was the beneficiary of a stroke of luck that saved his life.

"As she bit my hands in the back of my neck, she simultaneously bit the bear spray can and it exploded in her mouth," Burke said. "This is what saved my life from the initial attack. I heard her run away, I looked up and instantly ran in the opposite direction up a hill."

Burke applied "improvised tourniquets" to his legs to "slow the bleeding" after the animal attack. He added that his legs were "not really working."

Burke called 911 and stayed on the phone so they could triangulate his location.

A rescue helicopter was able to locate him and rescue him.

"Once the helicopter spotted me, I tried to crawl to a clearing so they could reach me easier," he stated. "At this time, the first ranger showed up and started his assessment. Hypothermia was one of the biggest concerns at this point. I was alert and responsive."

Burke was transported for surgery to St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson, Wyoming.

The bear attack was the 'most violent' plight he had ever experienced

Despite being mutilated in the bear attack, Burke has no ill feelings against the bear.

"I love and respect wildlife. Anyone who knows me knows this about me," Burke stated.

He petitioned park rangers not to kill the bear because she was "defending her cub."

"What happened up on Signal Mountain was a case of wrong place, wrong time," he said. "Sunday afternoon, I was attacked by a mother grizzly protecting her cub."

Burke pointed out that despite being a disabled Army veteran who had "experienced being shot at, mortared, and IED explosions," this bear attack was the "most violent thing" he had ever experienced.

(WARNING: Graphic images)

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Navy veteran torn apart by giant grizzly makes stunning recovery, claims he 'will win Round 2'



A 61-year-old Navy veteran stumbled into a massive grizzly bear last month while hunting deer in Montana. Although Rudy Noorlander landed the first punch, the fight did not ultimately go his way. Rather, he left Custer Gallatin National Forest shredded and missing part of his face.

Although Noorlander parted ways with his lower jaw, he kept his faith and a strong sense of humor.

Discussing his recovery with reporters Friday and showcasing a new jaw, the veteran noted on his whiteboard, "Only by the hands of God am I here," adding, "I will win Round 2."

What's the background?

TheBlaze previously reported that on Sept. 8, Noorlander ventured into the Montana wild to assist a pair of hunters in tracking down a deer they had shot and killed.

KateLynn Davis said her father, "being the Good Samaritan that he is, decided to help them search for it."

While proceeding down Yellow Mule Trail in search of the fallen deer, Noorlander came across a small bear. He raised his rifle, hoping to scare away the cub, but was ambushed by its apparent behemothic guardian.

According to his daughter, "Rudy armed his gun at the bear, but his firearm misfired, making his best choice of defense his fists, as he did not have any time to get his bear spray from his backpack."

The average grizzly bear would have been well out of Noorlander's weight class, yet this particular specimen was anything but average, reportedly standing some 10 feet tall.

"As the bear lunged, the only thing Rudy could do was punch the bear in hopes of slowing it down. Unfortunately, it did not, and after the first punch the grizzly was on top of Rudy," wrote KateLynn Noorlander.

The bear swatted trenches down the veteran's chest, bit his arms and legs, and then, "to top it all off, [the bear] gave him as what Rudy describes as the most disgusting French kiss of his life before biting down and tearing off his lower jaw," his daughter wrote on the GoFundMe page for her father.

KSL-TV reported that Noorlander also suffered a collapsed lung as a result of the attack.

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' guide on how to handle bear encounters, Noorlander appears to have gone by the book.

"Never run away. You cannot outrun a bear," says the guidance. "If a bear follows you, or slowly, purposefully or methodically approaches you ... [s]tand your ground. Get aggressive: wave your arms and shout vigorously. Get spray out and ready. Fight back if it makes contact."

Following the attack, the two hunters whom Noorlander accompanied were able to scare off the bear and summon help.

Noorlander was airlifted to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center in Montana for emergency treatment, then taken to the University of Utah Hospital for jaw reconstruction.

Recovery and return

Noorlander evidenced his stunning recovery Friday, taking part in a press conference along with his two adult daughters and the surgeon responsible for his new jaw.

Although he can speak, he indicated it hurts "a little." For now, he instead communicates using script on a whiteboard.

Dr. Hilary McCrary, a surgeon at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital specializing in head and neck surgery, performed the veteran's jaw surgery. She told reporters, "The first thing that was so incredible to watch is just how enthusiastic Rudy was, even after being just attacked by a grizzly bear. He was very adamant that he was going to fight this thing and get through it and, at that point, he was still on a ventilator and had a chest tube and lots of lines everywhere," reported KSL.

"For someone to be so enthusiastic about his prognosis and outcome that early is very heartwarming as a physician," added McCrary.

The surgeon reportedly put two plates in the 61-year-old's neck for stabilization, then a placeholder where his lower jaw once was. Her team reportedly developed a model jaw using Noorlander's fibula, a bone in the lower leg. After fashioning him a new jaw bone, they used grafted skin from elsewhere on Noorlander's body on the jaw as well as to create new bottom lip.

According to McCrary, the surgery took place on Sept. 28 and lasted 10 hours, reported the Associated Press.

There remains a small wound under his chin that will need to heal, but soon he'll be able to eat without fear of infection, suggested McCrary.

His family expressed optimism that he would soon be able to go home.

Noorlander told reporters via his whiteboard, "Only by the hands of God am I here. I've had a lot of inspirations and I felt the need to share my story with others, and believe it or not, I believe that this attack was an answer to my prayers and that, potentially, it could help somebody else going through something similar."

He also said in a prewritten statement, "I just want to end this by saying most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. Even if there seems to be no hope, keep on fighting."

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University of Utah surgeons reattach man's jaw following grizzly bear attackyoutu.be

Couple and their dog mauled to death in grizzly bear attack; chilling, final SOS message revealed



A Canadian couple and their dog were mauled to death by a grizzly bear. The pair were able to send a harrowing final SOS message to family members before being killed in the grisly attack.

Doug Inglis and Jenny Gusse, both 62, went on a seven-day hiking trek inside Alberta's popular Banff National Park last week. The couple were "highly experienced" hikers who had been in the area "many times." However, tragedy struck when they were victims of a vicious bear attack.

Last Friday afternoon, Inglis notified his uncle that they hadn't reached their planned camping destination and would instead bunker down for the night near the Red Deer River in the Panther Valley, west of Ya Ha Tinda Ranch in Banff National Park.

Colin Inglis, the uncle of Doug, received a chilling, three-word SOS message around 8:15 p.m. on Friday.

The uncle told the Calgary Herald, "I got a call from their Garmin (inReach device) that said, ‘Bear attack bad.'"

"The alarm bells were going off, 'This is not good' – that means there’d been some engagement," Inglis said. "You’re completely helpless to know what’s going on."

The dire message was also automatically sent to Parks Canada officials.

The uncle said a helicopter was deployed for the search and rescue mission, but had to turn back because of overcast conditions. Around 10:30 p.m., an on-the-ground response team was dispatched. However, the search team didn't reach the couple's campsite until nearly 2 a.m. The search and rescue team discovered a gruesome scene.

The recovery team found the mauled and lifeless bodies of Inglis, Gusse, and their 7-year-old border collie named Tris.

Parks Canada officials believe the couple were inside their tent reading when they were attacked by the grizzly bear.

Parks officials told Inglis that the couple's tent was "crushed and their e-readers were open."

Inglis believes that his nephew was outside the tent trying to fend off the bear while Jenny was in the tent sending the desperate SOS message.

According to the New York Post, "The couple — a research scientist and a lab technician at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Research Centre — appeared to have tried to fight off the bear with bear spray, but the animal was relentless."

Colin said, "One can of bear spray had been fully discharged, but this bear was not to be deterred."

The response team located the grizzly bear suspected of killing the couple and were forced to shoot the aggressive animal.

Colin said, "In their words, the bear was intent on killing them."

Parks Canada revealed on Tuesday that the bear was a 25-year-old grizzly in "fair body condition" with poor teeth and less body fat than usual for this time of year. Experts believe the bear was predatory because it was trying to fatten up ahead of hibernation in the winter.

Investigators will perform an autopsy on the grizzly to determine if it is the same animal that killed the couple.

Inglis said the couple "did everything right, but bad things happen."

The pair were said to be looking forward to retiring next year so they would have more time to explore the great outdoors.

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Grizzly bear attack: Family shares harrowing final message from Alberta couple killed in wilderness www.youtube.com

Navy veteran has jaw torn off during bear attack — but manages to keep his sense of humor



A Navy veteran had his jaw torn off during a ferocious bear attack in Montana. Despite the horrific mauling, the man has managed to keep his sense of humor.

Rudy Noorlander is in critical but stable condition after being viciously attacked by a large bear.

On Friday, Noorlander was assisting two hunters track down a deer that they had shot and killed. He rented out ATVs to the hunters from his rental company.

His daughter, KateLynn Davis, said of her father, "Rudy, being the good Samaritan that he is, decided to help them search for it."

The group went to find the deer in Custer Gallatin National Forest – just outside Big Sky – roughly 55 miles north of Yellowstone National Park.

While on the Yellow Mule Trail, Noorlander noticed a small bear. The 61-year-old took out his rifle to scare away the animal. However, he was ambushed by a much larger bear when he was distracted.

"Rudy aimed his gun at the bear but his firearm misfired, making his best choice of defense his fists as he did not have any time to get his bear spray from his backpack," his daughter explained. "As the bear lunged, the only thing Rudy could do was punch the bear in hopes of slowing it down. Unfortunately, it did not, and after the first punch the grizzly was on top of Rudy."

The hunters were able to scare off the bear and call for help.

However, the brutal bear attack left Noorlander unconscious and seriously wounded. He remained unconscious for two hours because the rescue team in a helicopter reportedly needed to wait for another rescue helicopter in case there were still bears in the area.

Rudy was airlifted to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center in Montana, where he had surgery. He was then airlifted to the University of Utah Hospital for further treatment.

The savage animal attack reportedly left Noorlander with nightmarish injuries, including having his lower jaw ripped off by the 10-foot grizzly bear.

"The bear broke part of his throat, so they're putting a plate down in there to stabilize it. Then [in about a week and a half,] they're going to do the major reconstruction surgery where they take the bone out of his leg and reconstruct the chin and everything," Kary Noorlander Lyman, Noorlander's sister, told KTSU.

The grizzly bear also left large scratches on Noorlander's chest, arms, and legs.

Despite the soul-crushing bear attack, Noorlander hasn't lost his sense of humor.

"One of the nurses, when he first came in, said, 'We understand you're kissing bears,' and he wrote on [a board], 'Bear French kiss ME.' And she said, 'Oh, bad breath?' And he said, 'Yes,'" Lyman said.

Noorlander wrote on the board that his goal was "to make someone smile."

KateLynn started a GoFundMe campaign to assist with Rudy's medical bills.

"Rudy is a Navy Veteran and has VA insurance but due to the surgeries and his time in the hospital he will need additional funding to help pay for his extensive medical bills," the listing read.

The campaign has raised more than $40,000 in four days.

The U.S. Forest Service implemented an emergency closure in the area near the animal attack to track down the grizzly bear. Authorities say the bear may have been shot.

(WARNING: Graphic video)

Man recovering in Utah after mauled by grizzly bear while deer tracking in Montana www.youtube.com

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Officials confirm dead woman found on hiking trail near Yellowstone National Park died from grizzly bear attack



Officials confirmed Monday that a woman died near Yellowstone National Park after being attacked by a grizzly bear.

Early Saturday morning, officials with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks were notified that a hiker found a woman deceased on a trail about eight miles from West Yellowstone, the agency said in a statement.

Upon investigating, bear specialists and other game wardens discovered the woman suffered from "wounds consistent with a bear attack."

"They also found tracks from an adult grizzly bear and at least one cub near the site. They did not see any bears or signs of a day bed or animal carcass during the investigation," the agency explained. "The hiker was believed to be alone during the encounter, and no bear spray or firearms were found at the scene."



The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks are jointly investigating the incident.

Officials did not release the victim's name.

Tragically, the woman was attacked and killed the same week that Montana game wardens issued a warning about bears. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, in fact, warned there have been "grizzly bear sightings in several places where grizzlies haven’t been seen in recent years, and in some cases more than a century," KECI-TV reported.

Still, bear attacks are rare.

Only eight people have been killed by bears in Yellowstone National Park since the park was established in 1872. On the other hand, there have been seven fatal brown and black bear attacks in Montana since 2010, including three (now four) since 2021.

This is only the second fatal bear attack in the U.S. this year. Steven Jackson, 66, was killed in Arizona last month when a black bear attacked him. Neighbors rushed to his aid and eventually killed the bear, but it was too late. Officials were left perplexed over the attack because the bear was not provoked nor was it unhealthy.

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Bear mauls New Jersey woman while she checks her mail



A woman in New Jersey was taken to the hospital this week after she was attacked by a bear while venturing outside her home to check the mail.

The attack happened Wednesday near a Christmas tree farm in Lafayette Township as the 34-year-old woman walked along Gorney Road on her way to the mailbox, WPVI-TV reported.

She reportedly spotted three black bears nearby when one of them charged and attacked her, causing injuries to her right arm and along the right side of her body.

Thankfully, a neighbor who witnessed the attack was able to scare the bears off using a car horn, potentially saving the woman from more serious injury.

The woman, who has not been identified in local news reports, was taken to the hospital for treatment and later released.

According to CBS News, state officials said the bear involved was likely one or two years old and weighs 150 to 200 pounds.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection was notified about the incident and has dispatched officers to lay bear traps to catch the animal. If captured, the animal will be euthanized per state policies.

Sussex County residents told CBS News that the area's bear population has skyrocketed following the state's termination of the annual bear hunt.

According to New Jersey DEP statistics, state fish and wildlife biologists estimate that the number of bears that populate the area north of Interstate 78 and west of Interstate 287 shot up to 3,158 from 2,208 between 2019 and 2020 alone.

Lafayette Township is located in a more rural area of the state just over an hour northeast of New York City.

Bears are not generally considered aggressive toward humans, and bear attacks on humans are extremely rare. However, state officials warned that any encounter with such a massive and powerful animal could be life-threatening.

If such an encounter should occur, officials advise residents to avoid direct eye contact with the animal and slowly back away. To scare a bear away, one should make loud noises by shouting and clapping and make sure the animal has an escape route so that it doesn't feel trapped or cornered.

The Wednesday incident marks the first bear attack on a human in New Jersey in over two years. In 2020, an 82-year-old man reportedly received more than 30 stitches after being attacked by a bear in West Milford.

Woman mauled by bear while checking her mail youtu.be

Video: Homeowner fights off black bear that jumped over porch gate and headed straight for his dog



A trio of dachshunds — Piper, Pickles, and Pepper — are kind of like kids to Walt Hickox and his wife.

"I don't have any kids, and my wife's kids are gone. We got together in 2006. We got [the dogs] shortly after. And that was our ... that was our family," Hickox told WESH-TV.

Last week, Hickox took Piper, Pickles, and Pepper outside his home in Daytona Beach, Florida, in the hopes they could scare off some "cats," the station said.

But instead they found a much bigger — and moreterrifying — visitor.

What happened?

A Ring doorbell video camera caught the moment a black bear bounded over a gate at the porch's entrance last Wednesday evening, the station said in a separate story on the incident.

The dogs actually headed for the gate just before the bear entered the screened-in porch.

"Apparently, it wasn't a cat that they were after because they went, 'Alright, that side is clear.' That's when the bear came out," Hickox told WESH.

He told the station the bear made a beeline for Pickles.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

But Hickox immediately turned and charged at the bear, which briefly tangled with Hickox before backing out of the porch. He moved a bench in front of the entrance.

Here's the clip of the terrifying encounter:

Video shows Florida man fending off bear to protect dogs youtu.be

"I just wanted to deflect the tension off the dog long enough for him to realize, 'Hey, there's a human in here, too,'" Hickox added to the station.

He said he even shared a surreal moment with the animal.

"I swear there was a fraction of time where the bear sat up and kicked his head to the side like, 'What are you screaming about?'" Hickox recalled to WESH.

The aftermath

The station said Kerry Hickox called 911 and told dispatchers, "My husband was just attacked by a bear, who do we get hold of to get this thing removed? He's got puncture wounds and scratches, but not enough for an ambulance or anything."

After he had time to process what had just gone down, Hickox understandably lost it.

"When I had time to just sit and stare, it all hit me," he told WESH. "And I started bawling. I couldn't believe how close to death I was. And I did it for my dog."

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Law enforcement and bear biologists tried without success to capture the bear, the station said, adding that wildlife officials said the bear will be humanely killed upon capture since it attacked a human. Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation set a bear trap in the neighborhood, WESH noted.

Hickox told the station he doesn't want anything bad to happen to the bear, but he also doesn't want people to be in danger.

Wildlife officials added to WESH that if a black bear attacks, people should fight back aggressively like Hickox did.

“To reduce human-bear conflicts, remove or secure all food attractants from around your house and yard, including garbage, pet food and birdseed," officials added to the station. "To avoid an encounter between a bear and your dog, bang on your door and flip your house lights on and off to give the bear time to leave the area before letting your dog out. If your dog and a bear get into a fight, make noise and use your bear spray or a water hose if available. If the bear makes contact with you, fight back aggressively.”

'I did it for my dog': Daytona Beach man attacked by bear speaksyoutu.be