Minnesota Man Attacked By Grizzly While Hiking In Wyoming
A 48-year-old man from Plymouth was attacked by a grizzly bear on Sunday in Wyoming. The Park County Sheriff's Office described the rescue on it's Facebook page.
At 3:42 p.m., Park County Dispatch received a call for help from a female who reported that while hiking the Muddy Creek Trail, she came upon two frantic backpackers that reported their companion had been mauled by a grizzly bear two hours earlier in the area of Granite Lake.
The victim Bradley Johnson was backpacking with three friends when the attack took place. Two of his companions hiked out to get help while a third, 45-year-old Justin Reed, from Medina, stayed behind with Johnson. Johnson suffered severe injuries to his arm, shoulder, and back in the bear attack.
The Park County Sheriff Air Rescue (PCSAR) responded to the Granite Lake area and because the exact location of the victim was unknown, PCSAR launched its fixed-wing search aircraft to search the Granite Lake area from the air. A second helicopter was also requested to aid in the search for Johnson and Reed.
According to the Sheriff's Office post, both aircraft arrived on scene at the same time and were able to locate Johnson. The rescue wasn't without its own adventure as the aircraft had to land a mile away and hike in to get to Johnson. Once the medics arrived they were able to stabilize his injuries and carry him to the helicopter. He was then flown to St. Vincent’s Hospital in Billings where his condition is unknown at this time. This incident is currently being investigated by the Wyoming Game and Fish.
Reed wasn't able to fit into the aircraft and was guided out of the park about 2:15 am Monday morning by a Wyoming Game and Fish Officer.