A hiker was seriously injured after being attacked by a protective grizzly bear, which dragged him almost 20 feet, causing severe damage to his arm.
Daniel Crago, 32, from San Diego, encountered a grizzly bear cub while hiking in Glacier National Park, Montana, on May 28.
He recounted the terrifying moment, saying, “I thought, ‘This is it.'” The bear bit into his arm and then dragged him for what felt like a long distance.
Crago noted that there was no large bear visible on the mountainside at the time. He attempted to follow the safety advice he’d learned, yelling to alert the bear of his presence. “You make them aware,” he stated, as he spoke to CBS 8 from his hospital bed, emphasizing that he was still in recovery.
Despite his efforts to shout, “Hey, bear!” the animal lunged at him, locking its jaws on his right arm. Crago describes the impact as jarring, leading him to believe this could be the end.
After the attack, the bear fled down the mountain.
“Thankfully the bear didn’t hurt my wrist or elbow,” Crago explained, although it shattered the bone in his forearm.
A nearby doctor from another hiking group quickly came to his aid, managing to stop the bleeding and stabilize his arm until he could be airlifted to a hospital in Kalispell, Montana.
Crago has since undergone three surgeries and plans to have another soon. He’s back in San Diego and has nearly reached his fundraising target of $24,000 for medical bills.
Despite the incident, Crago remains passionate about hiking and the outdoors. “It’s part of who I am,” he stated. “It’s not going to stop me.”
