A Yellowstone hiker came across claw marks, a bloody hat and a watch on Mystic Falls Trail on Monday, then found a 28-year-old man calling for help after a bear attack. Craig Lerman said the scene was “scary, brutal” and “not something I've ever seen before,” as he gave the injured man his shirt and called 911.
Lerman said the man had visible injuries to his face, back and legs. The 28-year-old’s 14-year-old brother was also hurt in the attack, according to reporting from Cowboy State Daily, and the two were later airlifted out of Yellowstone National Park.
Bear attacks are rare in Yellowstone and elsewhere, but when they happen the consequences can be severe for people, rescuers and animals alike. The park’s trails can draw heavy traffic, and that increases the odds of close-range encounters in a place where bears move through the same landscape as visitors.
Park officials rely on trail advisories, visitor education, food-storage rules and emergency response systems to cut that risk, but the basic advice stays the same: keep at least 100 yards away from bears in bear country and carry bear spray you know how to use. On Mystic Falls Trail, Lerman’s quick decision to help and call for aid likely made a hard situation a little less dangerous, but the attack still left two brothers injured and a reminder that Yellowstone’s beauty can turn suddenly into a rescue scene.
