A Minnesota father is thanking his son for saving his life after he was attacked by a black bear.
Twelve-year-old Owen Beierman saved his father Ryan's life on Sept. 6 when a black bear they were chasing “charged and went down.” [him] under.”
The father and son were on a hunting trip to a cabin in western Wisconsin when Owen shot his first bear, which attacked and wounded Ryan.
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“The bear was in a cat-like position, ready to pounce,” Beierman told the Minnesota Star Tribune. “Next thing you know it was on me. It lunged at me and took me down. It was fighting for its life and I was fighting for my life,” Beierman added.
Beierman, a business agent for Teamsters Local 120 in Blaine, Minnesota, credits his son, Owen, with saving the day with his .350 Legend hunting rifle.
Minnesota father Ryan Beierman's life was saved by his 12-year-old son Owen, who used a hunting rifle on a bear that was attacking his father. (Ryan Beierman)
“I was lying on my back and I felt the bullets go through the bear,” Beierman told the Minnesota Star Tribune. “Owen was a hero. He shot and killed that bear and finished it off on me.”
Ryan Beierman suffered a deep cut on his left cheek and puncture wounds to his forehead, arms and legs from the bear's fangs. His cheek had to be reattached with 23 stitches.
The father and son are experienced hunters and planned a weekend to track and hunt black bears using their Wisconsin hunting licenses. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), bear hunting is legal in certain areas during the months of September and October.
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“We were both looking in opposite directions when Owen whispered, 'Daddy, bear, bear, bear,'” Beierman recalled to the Minnesota Star Tribune. “He was armed with a .350 Legend hunting rifle and was watching the bear approach. Bang! Owen's bullet hit the bear but missed the ideal kill zone.”
According to his father, Ryan, the couple sat for about 20 minutes after the bear was first shot, waiting for it to bleed out before chasing it down and trying to kill it.
“At first I reached for my gun to try and scare the bear away with a warning shot,” Ryan said. “The bear was only about five or six feet away, so it was very close range. It started to charge me, so I shot to kill it. I shot eight times and missed. I didn't have time and I couldn't get the gun high enough to use the sights.”
Minnesota father Ryan Beierman's life was saved by his 12-year-old son Owen, who used a hunting rifle on a bear that was attacking his father. (Ryan Beierman)
“There was a flash from the muzzle of Owen's rifle. The bullet shifted the bear's weight to one side and I pushed it away. I heard the bear's final groan, but I don't remember if I fired another shot,” Beierman told the Minnesota Star Tribune.
When the bear was finally taken down with a quick shot from 12-year-old Owen, Ryan's neighbors helped him deal with it. They tried to drive Ryan to the emergency room, but the paramedic stopped to examine his wounds.
“I was so proud of Owen. When I got back to River Falls I told my wife that my bear hunt was over,” Ryan told the Minnesota Star Tribune. “I don't know now, but she'll say something. It was a wild ride. It was a hellish night to say the least.”
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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
