B.C. man describes bear attack: 'I'll never forget the clamping force of the bear's jaw'
It’s a moment forever seared in Gil Graham’s mind.
"I’ll never forget the clamping force of the bear’s jaw on my thigh because it was so intense, so strong, enough to make you realize he could crush your leg if he wanted to,” Graham explained.
The Metro Vancouver man survived a terrifying bear attack in Northern B.C.
The bear came after him not just once but twice.
It happened May 31 at a small mining exploration camp in a remote area north of MacKenzie.
Graham says he's encountered dozens of bears in his years of working in remote areas, but never anything like this.
He was working outside to open up the camp and when he turned around, he came face-to-face with a startled black bear. He put up his hands and stepped away, but the bear followed him and attacked.
"Ears back, paws down, looking at me, I’m looking at him. Five feet of space," Graham explained in an interview with CTV News.
"He’s, pushing me to the ground... I’m screaming - top of my lungs."
Graham said at times he felt helpless: "There’s nothing you can do. Just the power of the beast."
Still, with his leg badly bleeding, Graham did what he could to fight the bear off, using his metal flashlight to hit the animal. But the bear wouldn't leave.
When co-workers tried to help him, the bear went after them too. When they sought safety in a trailer, the bear came back for Graham.
"Of course his second approach was scary because if he’d gone somewhere else on me, things would have been considerably worse," Graham recalled.
Co-workers continued their desperate attempts to scare off the bear, throwing rocks and yelling.
"My colleague got in a pickup truck, lights on, horn blaring... he backed off enough so my colleague could get the truck between me and the bear," Graham explained.
Finally, someone in the camp shot and killed the animal. It's something Graham says is sad but was necessary.
"Everybody was still at risk while they were trying to help me. So that’s how it had to turn out," he explained.
Graham was treated remotely and then flown to hospital in Prince George where he underwent two surgeries for a deep leg wound.
He says he's healing well and is grateful for the help of his colleagues and the medical staff who treated him.
Friends have set up an online fundraiser to assist with any unexpected medical expenses as he recovers. He says any money not needed by him will be donated to assist with remote medical programs or training.
Graham says after 42 years working in the back country, he had been getting ready to call it a career.
He says he probably should have retired just a little sooner.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Most of the city is evacuating': Gridlock on Alberta highway after evacuation order in Fort McMurray
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Sask. police seize 1.5M pieces of evidence, lay 60 more charges in child exploitation case
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
'Inappropriate' behaviour shuts down Dublin to New York City portal
Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, 'inappropriate behaviour' in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown.
Oilers starting Calvin Pickard in goal for Game 4 vs. Canucks
The Edmonton Oilers will start Calvin Pickard in net Tuesday for Game 4 of their playoff series with the Vancouver Canucks.
Biden administration moving ahead on US$1 billion arms package for Israel, AP sources say
The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it is sending a new package of more than US$1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel, two congressional aides said Tuesday.
King Charles III unveils his first official portrait since his coronation
King Charles III has unveiled the first portrait of the monarch completed since he assumed the throne, a vivid image that depicts him in the bright red uniform of the Welsh Guards against a background of similar hues.
Full List Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
About 1,000 wildfires confirmed so far this year: Here's a quick look at the situation in Canada
Nearly 1,000 wildfires have burned across Canada so far this year. Here's an overview of the situation in Canada.