A man who narrowly survived a grizzly bear attack has shared the thoughts that crossed his mind as he believed his life was about to end.
For many hikers, the idea of encountering a bear on the trail is a worst-case scenario — and it became reality for Daniel Crago during a walk in Montana.
The 32-year-old was hiking Glacier National Park’s Grinnell Glacier Trail on May 28 when his trip took a terrifying turn.
He didn’t just spot one bear, but two.
Speaking to CBS 8, Daniel said he initially noticed a small cub, before realizing the mother was nearby — and that’s when the danger escalated.
He said he tried to follow the safety guidance commonly recommended in bear country.
But he soon learned that preparation doesn’t always prevent a sudden attack.
“At that point, I did what they kind of teach or train you to do: just alert the bear so you don’t startle [it]. You make them aware,” He told the outlet, recalling: “So, I did that. ‘Hey bear! Hey bear!’ And it kind of had its nose in the snow, maybe smelling something, and looked up at me. And as soon as we looked at each other, it charged at me.”
In that instant, Daniel said he was convinced he was about to die — and described the thought that hit him as the bear came at him.
“I just kind of thought, ‘This is it,’” he said.
He said the grizzly lunged and clamped down on his forearm, crushing the bones.
Daniel also said the bear dragged him roughly 20 feet before running off, leaving him badly injured on the trail.
He recalled looking down to see the severity of the damage, saying he had ‘looked down and saw my arm just dangling’ with ‘blood pouring out’ as he ‘thought [he] was gonna die.’
Glacier National Park later described the incident as a ‘surprise encounter with a grizzly bear’ and suggested conditions on the trail may have played a role.
Officials said the nearby ‘sound of loud rushing water’ likely ‘made it difficult for either the man or the bear to detect one another.’
Daniel credited quick action from others on the trail — including a doctor who happened to be nearby — as well as hikers who alerted emergency services.
He was later airlifted to Kalispell for treatment.
Daniel’s injuries included what was described as ‘a complete crush of the bones, the forearm bones,’ and he has undergone three surgeries, with another still to come.
With the costs continuing to grow, Daniel has set up a GoFundMe in an effort to help cover his medical bills.