There was nearly no warning when the grizzly bear attacked Shayne Patrick on Could 9 in Grand Teton Nationwide Park. When it occurred, he had been on a brief, unassuming canine stroll on a preferred street that skirts Grand Teton Lake. Offhandedly, he’d introduced his digicam, binoculars, knife, and bear spray. Had he not had these objects, he’s sure he’d be a lifeless man right this moment.
Patrick is a 35-year-old who lives in New Hampshire together with his spouse and canine. He’s been within the Military for 17 years and has been an outdoorsman all his life. He’s a longtime rock climber and hunter within the Northeast. He’s additionally an avid wildlife photographer. Peruse his photography-focused Instagram profile (@cae_imagery_), and also you’ll see bison, foxes, falcons, owls, seals, raccoons, moose, and extra.
“I’ve just about been outside my entire life and had many various kinds of animal encounters,” Patrick advised GearJunkie. “Simply by no means with a grizzly till now.“
Patrick’s shut encounter with loss of life made nationwide headlines. Information organizations throughout the nation picked up his story, however few dug deeper than his Instagram put up concerning the incident.
GearJunkie reached out to Patrick a day earlier than he went into surgical procedure to have his damaged shoulder mounted, to get the story firsthand, and to speak with him concerning the single piece of substances that saved his life: his can of UDEP Bear Spray.
“I’ll go to the grave saying it: I’d slightly have it and never want it than want it and never have it,” he stated. “Particularly in the event you’re in these actual harmful areas.”
Editor’s word: This story incorporates graphic pictures and descriptions of maximum violence.
Q&A With Shayne Patrick: How He Survived a Grizzly Assault
GearJunkie: The story has been shared dozens of occasions, however in your phrases, what occurred?
Shayne Patrick: Primarily, my spouse and I had been strolling a canine on Sign Mountain Highway. She and the canine turned again, and I saved going … I used to be making noise, but it surely was fairly windy, so I wasn’t listening to something. And the bears most likely couldn’t hear me till I used to be method too shut.
After I seen a grizzly cub working away, I grabbed my bear spray. and as I pulled the spray out, I regarded all the way down to see the security and pull it off, I regarded up, and the mother was already on me — from the second I noticed the infant to the second the mother contacted me, it was about 3 seconds. It was lightning quick. I had no time to really react to what was truly unfolding.
What was your first response?
I circled and went to put down and [play dead]. As I did that, she jumped on my again, bit me within the shoulder, tackled me … then she went over me, circled, and stepped on me and simply began ravaging my legs.
I used to be in a position to keep quiet for a few seconds, however she actually bought me good in one of many bites, and I simply let loose this blood-curdling scream. And that’s when she turned her consideration to my head. She bit my wrist, uncovered my bone … She bit my proper hand and uncovered all my tendons and hand bones and, concurrently, simply occurred to get a mouthful of bear spray as a result of she bit the canister as nicely.
Do you know what occurred while you heard the canister explode?
My first thought, after I heard the bear can pop, was that it was truly my cranium cracking and that she was going to kill me. I felt a really heat fluid stream down my again and down my face. And I simply thought it was my blood.
However inside microseconds of all these ideas, I heard her working away, regarded up, and noticed her going the best way the cub ran. And so I ran the other way … I used to be a few mile away from the car parking zone by the point I finished. I phoned my spouse. She’s an EMT. And he or she’s bought her WFR [Wilderness First Responder], and she or he began explaining, “You have to do x, y, z.”
I may inform the again of my legs have been simply profusely bleeding, regular stream — however not alarmingly so. It wasn’t arterial bleeding or something like that … So I began slicing straps off all my gear and tying it as tight as I may to gradual the blood stream … Then I simply sat there and waited for search and rescue. Took them rather less than 2 hours.
Have you ever ever seen the film The Revenant?
Sure. That’s just about how I clarify it. Apart from getting flipped over so my stomach was uncovered. That was the one actual distinction. Like, it actually felt like that. It was pure violence. And this bear actually may have performed something she wished to me.
It’s a complete — I hate to make use of the phrase as a result of I don’t consider in “miracles” even in any case this — however like, it’s some fairly goddamn good luck that she didn’t simply fully tear grapefruit-sized chunks off my legs.
Was there any time so that you can put coherent ideas collectively whereas this was taking place?
Minimally. The one factor I may assume was, “You actually fucked up this time, dude. Like, that is the way you’re going to die?”
Like, I actually thought I used to be going to die. And never for nothing, type of a badass approach to go. However not the best way I ever wish to go.
Actually, I largely simply considered my household and my canine. Like, “How dare you’re taking your self away from these folks and your canine?”
So I felt actually responsible in the course of the assault.
What was the complete extent of your accidents?
I had 9 surgical websites needing staples and inside stitches, the biggest one being 9 cm lengthy. The primary chew was on my proper shoulder, her K9 punctured down my entice and her decrease mandible K9 punctured and ripped into my lat. Sooner or later, she managed to fracture my proper acromion, an entire displacement.
You requested that the bear not be euthanized as a result of it was simply defending its cub. Are you aware what occurred to the bear?
Yeah. The bear’s nonetheless alive. Mainly the Rangers, they took all my stuff, just about confiscated all the pieces as a result of they wanted to do an intensive investigation. They simply wish to be certain I wasn’t following the bears and taking footage of them or something like that, as a result of that’s a rechargeable offense.
In order that they took all my garments, and basically, they took DNA off that to attempt to decide if they might work out what bear it was. They’ve a fairly good database of the bears’ DNA. They haven’t advised me what bear it was. I don’t assume they ever will … I’ve heard by means of sources [which bear it might have been]. And I, , I don’t care. Like, cool. She’s a stupendous bear. She’s an previous bear.
Do you assume that you simply asking them to not kill the bear had any impact on their choice?
I don’t assume so. They needed to examine all of the elements to make it possible for the bear didn’t exit of its approach to assault me. They stated … “We’ll take that into consideration. It’s very admirable of you to really feel that method. Nevertheless, if this bear has performed this earlier than and it’s been aggressive to people, we will’t afford to maintain it alive.”
However the park did determine that the bear was performing naturally, and so they haven’t any trigger to pursue it and euthanize it.
Do you assume you’ll ever hike with out bear spray once more?
Positively by no means in grizzly nation. It’s now a part of my native equipment as nicely. You recognize, I archery hunt, and it weighs a few ounces. It’s a type of issues I’d slightly have and never want than want and never have.
I simply really need folks to recollect to be ready, even when it’s just a bit hike. Like this was purported to be a fast little stroll within the woods.
I’m not saying that each time you go to the park, you want a first-aid equipment or [bear spray], however something can occur wherever. Simply attempt to be ready and keep in mind that it’s their territory, not yours. And also you gotta be respectful of that.