Massachusetts man describes grizzly bear attack in Grand Teton National Park

A disabled Massachusetts veteran is speaking out about an attack by a grizzly bear in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park. Last weekend, 35-year-old Shayne Patrick of South Hadley was critically injured by a bear in the Signal Mountain Summit Road area overlooking Jackson Lake. “I was attacked by a grizzly bear protecting her cub,” Patrick wrote on his Instagram page. “It was the most brutal thing I’ve ever experienced.” The veteran says he was shot at, had mortar shells fired at him and had bombs detonated. Patrick, a wildlife photographer, says he and his wife drove to Signal Mountain to photograph a great grey owl. “My wife and I had learned that this was a hotspot for this species and I was hoping to see one.” Check out Patrick’s photos and read his account of the attack (warning: graphic). Patrick said his wife stayed in the parking lot at the trailhead with their car while he went exploring. He said he was walking through a dense wooded area in a valley and spotted a brown bear cub running up a hill about 50 to 70 yards ahead of me and immediately recognized the potential danger. “I pulled out my bear spray and saw the mother bear attacking,” Patrick said. “I stood my ground, screamed and tried to use the bear spray, but by the time I did, she had already gotten closer.” Patrick said the bear jumped on his back, slashing his back and right shoulder before biting his legs and lifting him up and throwing him back to the ground several times. He said a can of bear repellent ultimately saved his life when the bear delivered “a fatal bite” to his neck while also biting the bear spray he was holding, which exploded in the bear’s mouth. The National Park Service encourages all hikers to carry bear spray when hiking trails in rural national parks such as Grand Teton and Yellowstone. “Proper use of bear spray reduces the number of injuries caused by bears and the number of grizzly bears killed in self-defense,” the National Park Service explains on its website. The National Park Service says bears can easily outrun people. “Running can provoke attacks from non-aggressive bears,” the Park Service explains. “If the bear does not notice you, back out of the way quickly and quietly. If the bear notices you but does not respond aggressively, back away slowly while speaking in a steady tone or not at all.” “Bears can interpret direct eye contact as a threat,” the Park Service explains. “Don’t climb trees—all black bears and some grizzly bears can also climb trees.” Patrick suffered puncture wounds to his hands, legs and upper back. He says he applied improvised tourniquets before emergency responders tracked him down and took him to the hospital.

TETON COUNTY, Wyoming —

A disabled war veteran from Massachusetts speaks about his attack by a grizzly bear in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

Last weekend, 35-year-old Shayne Patrick of South Hadley was seriously injured by a bear in the area of ​​Signal Mountain Summit Road, which overlooks Jackson Lake.

“I was attacked by a mother grizzly bear protecting her cub,” Patrick wrote on his Instagram page. “It was the most brutal thing I have ever experienced.”

The war veteran says he was shot at, experienced mortar shelling and the explosions of explosive devices.

Patrick, a wildlife photographer, said he and his wife drove to Signal Mountain to photograph a great grey owl. “My wife and I had learned that this was a hotspot for the species, and I was hoping to see one.”

See Patrick’s photos and read his report on the attack (warning, graphic)

Shayne Patrick

Patrick said his wife stayed in the parking lot at the trailhead with their vehicle while he went exploring.

He says he was walking through a dense forest area in a valley and saw a brown bear cub running up a hill about 45 to 65 meters ahead of me. He immediately recognized the potential danger.

“I pulled out my bear spray and saw the mother bear running,” Patrick said. “I stood my ground, screamed and tried to use the bear spray, but by the time I did, she was already closer.”

Patrick says the bear jumped on his back, slashing his back and right shoulder before biting his legs and picking him up and throwing him back to the ground several times.

He said a can of bear repellent ultimately saved his life when the bear “fatally bit him in the neck” and simultaneously bit down on the bear spray he was holding, causing it to explode in the bear’s mouth.

The National Park Service recommends that anyone hiking trails in rural national parks such as Grand Teton and Yellowstone carry bear spray. “Proper use of bear spray reduces the number of injuries caused by bears and the number of grizzly bears killed in self-defense,” the National Park Service website states.

According to the National Park Service, bears can easily run faster than humans.

“Running can provoke attacks from non-aggressive bears,” the park service explains. “If the bear does not notice you, move out of the way quickly and quietly. If the bear notices you but does not react aggressively, move back slowly, speaking in a steady tone or not at all.”

“Bears may perceive direct eye contact as a threat,” the park service says. “Do not climb trees – all black bears and some grizzly bears can climb trees.”

Patrick suffered stab wounds to his hands, legs and upper back.

He said he applied improvised tourniquets before emergency responders located him and took him to the hospital.