Mr Stang said in the short documentary that the bear also tried to charge at him before his son joined him in firing shots at it. Out of nowhere, the bear reappearedmuch closer than they had thought. Wes Perkins, KL0FM, of Nome, Alaska, was seriously mauled by a grizzly bear during a hunting trip on Sunday, May 14. The long road back, he wrote, finally started "when I woke up in Harborview, and I stood up next to the bed." He said they saw a bear in the distance up on the hill. The 2 other hunters; a father & son shot the 8 foot, 13 year old Grizzly off him. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. As he flew, others were rolling into action, too. That was the first step to saving his life. It was essentially a bear hunt gone bad, a routine and pleasant hunt that took a turn for the worse when Perkins came across the wrong bear at the wrong time. "Some think I was taking pictures," he wrote. Sort by manufacturer, model, year, price, location, sale date, and more. She said, 'You don't need me anymore. If I was unconscious, I would have died. Wes wants everyone to be careful, and to remember wild animals are not your friends. "Like I said, I have to move on and keep doing what I was doing," he wrote. He glanced up to see the froth fling from the bear's angry lips and razor sharp claws digging into the ice and snow to gain traction to fulfill its hostile goals. I had a camera in my pocket, snowgo jacket. But they were rocked away in the early hours when a polar bear attacked their camp. "Been to Council (a community on the Nome road system where the family keeps a summer cabin), and camp. Lots of people from everywhere. The attack has now become the subject of a short documentary by filmmaker Donnie Rosie, who was in Alaska for another project when he found out about Perkins' story. He too had mostly facial damage, but did not lose eyesight, or his jaw, lower chin, like I did. He said: "I probably saved Wes' life and my son saved my life from the whole ordeal.". Perkins momentarily lost the bear tracks as the bear walked through a stand of brush too dense for the man to ride through on his snowmobile. The animal burst out of a hole and charged the 65-year-old, tearing . A team effort and incredible will power of a human to survive is what helped create this rescue and survival of epic proportions. Terrie can now understand Wes when he talks; it is an acquired skill. And probably worst of all, for a man who always loved to talk, he is now hard to understand because he speaks with only half a tongue. #1 thing I learned is healing comes, but it is slow," again with that double underline on slow. The Grizzly bear is a rather recent discovery as it is an animal that only is found in North America which makes the historical records less abundant than other types of bears who normally comes in all sizes and behavior - the grizzly only comes in oversized and dangerous. I had to open my airways because I had a bunch of mud here - my face was all tore up - lost my teeth, my tongue, my jaw. ", Since then, others have contacted Perkins for help and advice. Jesus man, I was shooting this weekend at 25 yards (75 feet). Then, strangely, the bear just stopped her attack and wandered off. Whatever the hell they did, they did a fine job. "I started spooning liquid in back of my throat as it would get so dry. He and a friend were hunting in the backcountry in Montana when they unexpectedly walked up on a grizzly feeding on a carcass. Wesley Perkins is now in the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where surgeons are planning reconstructive surgery to repair the damage done by the bear that attacked him Sunday on Alaska's. He has taken to trying to come up with the ultimate in smoothies. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters, Man found alive at bottom of the sea 3 days after boat sank: "Total shock". To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. As soon as the bear mauled onto Perkins, his hunting buddy Dan Stang grabbed a gun and started shooting the bear. Wesley was all torn up,' he said. And so I just stayed focused. While Sommer's friend warded off the bear with a blast of bear spray, Sommer wasn't so lucky. "In September, [another person] was mauled by moose while hunting with a buddy. The bear not only bit down on Perkins face, but as it did it, it also lifted the man while pressing him down to the ground with his paws and claws. The titanium plates in his face will likely always give him trouble in the cold. "I probably saved Wes's life and my son saved my life in the same ordeal," Dan Stang said. As they were regrouping, the Grizzly exploded toward them from behind- Fish and game said the bear covered 69 feet in 9 steps! His left eye, which sees only light and dark, weeps constantly. "If I was unconscious, I would have died. When help arrived about an hour later, Mr Perkins was able to walk inside the helicopter himself. ", Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. A man who had half of his face ripped off by a bear says he had to dig mud out of his airway so he could breathe. I do everything else.'. many who combined to save then 54-year-old Wes's life, Anne Ver Hoef, the snowshoer of Iditarod Trail Invitational fame. This shearing action left ribbons of flesh and bone hanging from the man's face. Mr Perkins said he had to dig debris from his own airway to stay alive, By the time he realised what was happening, the bear attacked him, The grizzly bear was shot dead by Mr Stang (Stock photo), Raging wild turkey terrorises neighbourhood attacking and injuring residents, Teen, 19, admits plotting Islamist terror attack targeting British police and military, Fisherman missing at sea after 'huge' tuna catch pulls him overboard into the water, Polar bear kills boy and woman in rampage through Alaska village, Widow's anxiety as debt collectors try to repossess her Spanish dream home. They don't do tongue transplants yet," but he's working at the speech and it's improving. The attack happened in 2011 but 65-year-old Wes Perkins still bears the scars of a terrifying encounter with a grizzly beast in the Alaskan mountains. So I stayed alert all the way (to Nome), and I could squeeze the hands of my two partners when they asked me questions.". Grizzly Bear takes Shotgun Blast at point-blank range. He and a friend were hunting in the backcountry in Montana when they unexpectedly walked up on a grizzly feeding on a carcass. He said when he rolled Perkins over he saw 'his whole face rolled right off'. Brooke had gone out elk hunting with friends and having shot one they decided to return the next day to get the body. Dan Stang said that he immediately grabbed his gun and started shooting the bear. "I make blend, Ensure milk, blueberries. Wes is not letting this hold him back. "I basically kept my airway open and had to dig the debris out of my airway, when I lost my tongue, jaw and all but a few teeth," Perkins told Newsweek. In 2011, Perkins had his face ripped off by a grizzly bear in what has been described as one of the most horrific attacks on record. Even as the Stangs began life-saving first aid, they were radioing for help from Nome, a community far from anywhere at the tip of the Seward Peninsula jutting into the sea closer to Russia than Anchorage, the urban hub of the 49th state. Allena Hansen was mauled by a black bear on her ranch in the Sequoia Mountains, California, in 2008. If hes alive now, hes going to make it. "Titanium plate on both cheeks and a titanium rib around the jaw bone," he wrote. Fortunately, Kornak was able to fend off her attacker with a can of bear spray. Wes grew up in an old Alaska where people did battle against nature and adversity every day. Slowly, that is changing as his health continues to improve and he learns to accept that his appearance is likely to attract attention. It was during the conversation that Rammel showed the reporter the video he made immediately after the attack. They shot the 8-foot-tall, 13-year-old grizzly bear off of Perkins, which was the first action made that lead to survival of Wes. Mr Stang said he immediately grabbed his gun and started shooting at the bear when he saw the animal on top of his friend. Wes actively works to encourage other survivors of animal attacks to make. Something went wrong, please try again later. So I was right behind her all the way. Mr Perkins was rushed back to nome and then to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. This 13 year old 8 foot tall boar was in the prime of his life meaning that he was an efficient killer. He rushed to the hospital in Nome, stabilized, and then transffered to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. . Plur Nilssen had suffered deep tissue lacerations to his shoulder, back, neck, chest, and head. When I turned around, the bear was that close. The day I left the hospital they told me I was addicted or dependent on opiates. The detail and information found inside this story will blow your mind. Life is good.". "I knew I could hear so I could talk to Ed and Dan who were with me.". Doctors had to use part of his fibula to create a jaw to replace what the bear ripped off of his face. A man who was left severely disfigured after a vicious bear attack has shared his incredible survival story in hopes it can help others who find themselves in a similar situation. Walking. "All of Alaska. Wes is getting along as best as he can. He was the fire chief at the Nome Volunteer Fire Department for a while and helped out with several local community groups. Even as the Stangs began life-saving first aid, they were radioing for help from Nome, a community far from anywhere at the tip of the Seward Peninsula jutting into the sea closer to Russia than Anchorage, the urban hub of the 49th state. Wes Perkins, 65, who lost his teeth, tongue and jaw during the 2011 attack, said he and two friends were driving around a hill while tracking the 'nice size bear'. I miss it. ", "I turned and saw the bear, full charge," he wrote. Also, (as) long as I lay still just right I was able to keep my airway open. He had titanium plates inserted in both cheeks and a titanium rib around the jawbone during the facial reconstruction process. "I look back and the bear's on top of [Perkins]", Dan Stang told Rosie in the film. Docs performed 26 operations on him to save his life and repair his face as much as they could. "I only had time to say, 'Oh shit!' As the bear shook his head like a dog with a toy, the bones in Perkins' face cracked like pottery on a tile floor. He was only saved by Fjeld managing to find his gun and shoot the bear dead. Perkins was there the day that happened. My hand instantly went numb and wrist and fingers were limp and unusable. Where his nose and sinuses once were, a gaping hole was left. The best result we found for your search is Wes Henry Perkins age 50s in Oswego, IL. He added he told himself to stay away and avoid closing his eyes or go unconscious. Bear spray doesnt always work but its better than nothing.. Perkins rolled him forward and buried his face in the snow to help numb it while they immediately radioed for emergency aid. Sept. 27, 2011.". He dedicates a lot of his time to helping other victims of mauling incidents through their recovery. The bear charged at Mr Perkins, causing him to lose his teeth, tongue and jaw, before it was subdued and eventually killed by Mr Stang and his son. But suddenly the beast rushed out of a hole and charged him, tearing the bottom half of his face off before being shot dead by his friend and his son. Wes Perkins "never lost consciousness" while being mauled by a grizzly bear during a hunting trip in Alaska, and he still remembers what he was thinking as the animal tore away his tongue and jaw. Although in shock and injured, Orr carried on his trek but within minutes the bear was back and launched another attack. "Last winter a little tough being inside (in Nome). So I stayed alert all the way (to Nome), and I could squeeze the hands of my two partners when they asked me questions..

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