After successfully harvesting a Stone sheep on my very first sheep hunt, my hunting partner, Robbie, and I were hiking back down to our horses in the valley bottom. It was a very steep mountain with a variance of terrain. Grassy plains rose into huge trees, topping out in a steep, rocky summit. Needless to say the hike down with half a sheep in each of our packs, along with the cape and horns was extremely difficult – we took plenty of breaks on the way down. We were walking on top of one of the many ravines, and were very close to our horses. Soon, the spindly, silver-skinned trees of an old burn began to surround us. Robbie, who is very fast, was nearing the old fire line, and just breaking into the dense forest beyond.
Then without warning, I heard the distinctive woofing of a bear in the grass. I instantly felt fear. I knew it was close but had no idea what direction the noise was coming from. I instinctively yelled to Robbie, “BEAR, BEAR, BEAR!” and began running toward him. I thought I could find cover in the dense growth, and that we’d be protected if we were together. I didn’t know the animal was bearing down on me from behind, until Robbie yelled back to me “IT'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU, IT'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU!”
I reached down, released the buckles from my pack, and in a quick motion swung around, dropping it to the ground. I hit the ground on my hands and knees and saw a Grizzly bear and her two cubs galloping toward me. I tried to get my rifle off my pack but she was too close. And then she was on me. I don’t remember the actual tackle, but I do remember everything else. She started to try and kill me. I tucked myself into a defensive position with my left arm up protecting my head from her bites. At one point she had my head in her mouth and shook me hard. I can still feel the flesh on my face loosening, a flap of skin impeding my vision, and the warm feeling of blood running over my face. I screamed.
But still, I was conscious and thinking. I work as a paramedic for the British Columbia Ambulance Service, and possible injuries flashed through my head. I was at once in full panic, fearing death, but rationally identified each bite as one that wouldn’t kill me immediately.
In the distance, I heard Robbie screaming at the bear, and running toward us. Suddenly, the bear was off me and on Robbie. I heard a gunshot and an enraged yell and then silence. Rolling towards my pack and doing a sort of self-check, I managed to grab my Delorme InReach device. I activated the SOS, gathered my rifle, and called to Robbie, unaware that he was injured as well. He yelled out that he was okay, but then went silent. I went to him and found him tangled in a fallen tree, obviously hurt. I hobbled to his aid and suddenly, my own injuries left my mind and the paramedic in me took over. I could see that he was bitten and had sustained many lacerations on his head and a perfect puncture to the side of his neck. I was thankful to see the bleeding had stopped.
I moved him into a hollow, which gave us some cover from another possible attack. He was going into shock and shivering uncontrollably so I made a fire, watched out for the bears, and started communicating with my InReach device. I knew help was coming via two helicopters, and that we just had to wait. I will never forget Robbie saying, “I just wanna hear that ‘whop whop whop’ of the chopper.” We put on our Sitka puffy layers, and waited.
The first helicopter arrived just at dusk, but we weren’t getting out anytime soon because the choppers didn’t fly at night. Two paramedics and a police officer did a hot landing, so we at least had help. Some time had passed when the second chopper arrived and was forced to land right away with the first chopper on the river below. The pilots, along with another paramedic and a BC Conservation officer came up to help in our rescue. They separated Robbie and I, the better to take care of us, but after an hour and much needed sugars and IV fluids, the paramedics helped me to where Robbie was. He and I were then wrapped up in sleeping bags and a tarp, gathering the warmth of a fire the responders had made.
We were awaiting the Search and Rescue Helicopter coming from Comox, BC, on the opposite end of the province. Around 3:30 a.m. the helicopter arrived, and what an amazing piece of equipment it was. They lit up the area with spotlights, and dropped down equipment, along with the flight medics. They loaded me into a tiny metal cage, and packaged Robbie for extraction. They hoisted one paramedic up, then me, Robbie, and then another paramedic. It was exciting in a weird way. The light was just breaking into the sky, and there I was being longlined up hundreds of feet in the air looking down and saying goodbye to the last 10 terrifying hours from a bird’s eye view.
It was a 40-minute flight to Fort Nelson, BC where multiple ambulances, my superintendent, and one of the provincial ambulance jets were awaiting our arrival. We were both loaded into the jet after being assessed in the warmth of the ambulance and flown straight to Vancouver, BC where we were taken to the hospital. I had sustained many facial lacerations, a skull fracture, bites to the back of my neck, major damage to my left arm and chest, a broken rib, bites to my hip, and major damages to the back of my left leg. Robbie, as he fought with the bear, holding his rifle between him and this animal, was bitten multiple times on the head and sustained many lacerations and bites to the neck, which resulted in a traumatic stroke. We are now both recovering.
In reflection, we saved each other’s lives. He was able to get the bear off me and I cared for him as best I could and called for help. We were close friends before, but now share a very special bond. We are so thankful for the responders who helped us survive this experience, and the gear we had in our packs that kept us warm and alive before responders reached us.