Hiker attacked by bear says he survived because bear bit him with bear spray

Shayne Burke is a disabled war veteran who has been shot at, grenade-throwed and bloodied in combat. But he says the most brutal thing he’s ever experienced was a grizzly bear attack on May 19 in Grand Teton National Park. Burke was critically wounded in the attack and likely would have died had he not been holding the can of bear spray, which exploded in the bear’s mouth as it tried to bite him in the neck. Burke was released from a hospital in Jackson on Monday and is expected to make a full recovery, according to the National Park Service. (Warning: This story contains graphic images.)

Two days before his release from the hospital, Burke posted a detailed account of what happened that day on Signal Mountain on Instagram. He thanked his wife and the search and rescue workers who helped him, and stressed the importance of being prepared and knowing how to respond in the event of a grizzly attack.

“The most important thing that kept me alive during the attack was reading and understanding what to do in the event of a bear attack and being prepared with the bear spray,” Burke writes in the Instagram post. “Although I’m not sure I sprayed anything on the bear, the only reason I’m telling my story now is because I had it with me and held it in my hands while 100% protecting my vital organs.”

The 35-year-old Massachusetts resident said he hiked up the Signal Mountain Trail alone to photograph a great grey owl. He had told his wife he would be back at his car in an hour, but he stayed a little longer than planned, so he turned around and made his way through the undergrowth back to the parking lot, following his phone’s GPS. He said he felt uneasy when he got off the trail, so he broke off branches and sang to alert any animals to his presence.

As he walked through the dense forest and looked toward a slope on his right, he noticed a cub running up a slope “50-70 yards” ahead of him. He then saw that the cub’s mother was already charging toward him, so he pulled the bear spray can from the holster attached to his binoculars. He stopped and prepared to spray, but by the time he had released the safety catch, the grizzly had already caught up.

Continue reading: How to use bear spray

“As she struck, I turned around and turned my back to her. I lay on my stomach and prepared for the ride. I clasped my hands behind my neck to protect my vital organs,” Burke writes. “The first bite and cut hit me on the back (and) my right shoulder.”

The bear continued her attack, biting each of Burke’s legs, then picked him up and slammed him repeatedly into the ground. With the UDAP bear spray can still in one hand, a screaming Burke kept both hands clasped behind his neck and head while the grizzly shifted its attention from his legs to the back of his head.

“I believe she was trying to kill me on the neck,” Burke writes. “She bit my hands on the back of my neck and at the same time bit the bear spray can that exploded in her mouth. That saved my life during the first attack.”

After watching the bear run away, Burke limped down the hill and sent his wife a text message with one word: “Attacked.” When his wife called, he told her what had happened while fashioning makeshift tourniquets out of the straps of his backpack and fanny pack. Unable to continue walking with his injured legs, he leaned against a tree and clutched his knife while he waited for rescuers to arrive.

“In that moment on that little hill, I accepted that I might well die,” Burke writes. “I recorded a short video telling my people that I love them.”

Fortunately, Burke’s family never had to see that video, and he was still awake and conscious when the first park ranger arrived by helicopter. After being flown by helicopter to the parking lot, Burke was taken by ambulance to St. John’s Hospital in Jackson for treatment.

Looking back on the incident, Burke says he should have had his first aid kit with him that day, but he only had a small daypack, a fanny pack and a pair of binoculars because it was “just going to be a short walk in the woods by the side of the road.” And even though he had his bear spray attached to his binoculars for easy access, he says the importance of being able to quickly draw and deploy a cartridge cannot be overstated.

“One very important aspect is to practice releasing the safety. I have done this, but not enough,” Burke writes in a comment. “Being able to release the safety without having to look at it is paramount and could make all the difference.”

Continue reading: An expert guide to surviving in grizzly bear country

As for the grizzly bear, Burke says one of the first things he asked park rangers was not to kill the bear, as she was only protecting her cubs. Park officials have since announced that no further “management action” is required for the bear, according to the New York Times.

“What happened on top of Signal Mountain,” writes Burke, “was a case of wrong place, wrong time.”