So I stopped to take camera out of pocket and put it in my dash bag as I could shoot the gun., I turned and saw the bear, full charge, he wrote. "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. Also, (as) long as I lay still just right I was able to keep my airway open. I know if I lost consciousness, I would probably die. and our So it was a big surgery with lots of surgeons doing their part and I had the best care a person could ever ask for.". But they are certainly not related." 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. He was initially taken to a hospital in Nome and then to Seattle. They just stitched it back in place. So I stopped to take camera out of pocket and put it in my dash bag as I could shoot the gun. Every day is a day of improvement, and medical staff members are still working on getting him back to his best state. Let us know via science@newsweek.com. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. "I only had time to say, 'Oh shit!' T he 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. I had 4 encounters with grizzlies and had to kill one that treed me. The tracks were impressive and showed that the bear was walking and running at various points along the creek. Then, turning his attention back to his friend, Dan told Wes that he had to keep still to stop his face from moving. Doctors had to use part of his fibula to create a jaw to replace what the bear ripped off of his face. Nome resident Wes Perkins, 54, was . Fair warning: Some of the accounts in this story are EXTREMELY GRAPHIC. Doctors had to use part of his fibula to create a jaw to replace what the bear ripped off of his face. Dan Stang had rolled him forward so that his injured face was buried in the snow to keep it numb, and radioed for immediate help. Wes Perkisn was attacked by a bear while out hunting in 2011. Credit: Donnie Rose/YouTube Wes had to have titanium plates inserted in his cheeks and a titanium rib around his jawbone.. Perkins spent the next four months in hospital, undergoing numerous operations to repair the damage done by the bear. WATCH. Perkins and his group saw a grizzly bear in the distance and started to track it before it disappeared quickly out of sight. ShamAbram 4 yr. ago. 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. Perkins, from Nome, Alaska, his friend Dan Stang, and Dan Stang's son, Edward Stang, were out in the mountains on a hunting trip. The bear immediately clamped his 12 inch wide bite across Wess face and locked on. Matt Dyer and Rich Gross share a laugh near the group's commissary in the . He added: 'As I stayed there I knew I was getting hypothermic a little bit. He also had a fibula bone graft, where they took his left fibula from the lower leg and made a jaw from it. . He pretty much single-handedly organized a rescue to lift his brother from the wilderness of the Kigluaik Mountains, about 30 miles east of this small community. But suddenly the grizzly came charging towards Perkins. The following is a story from Anchorage Daily News about survival, incredible willpower, and how the unbelievable can become the truth. And so I just stayed focused. NSFL | Wes Perkins Bear | Lebanon Diving Accident | .. INDUSTRY BABY. The 2 other hunters; a father & son shot the 8 foot, 13 year old Grizzly off him. I did not know the bear was 69 feet away in a snow cave. ", "I do what I can to pay it forward, and have always had a positive attitude.". Perkins, who spent his life in Alaska, has a fair bit of experience around grizzlies, but added, "I never had one hide like this one!" His rifle was slung across his shoulders for easy travel as he realized he had to act. I only had time to say, Oh sh*t! But I got my gun halfway off my back When I turned around, the bear was that close. The photo was taken sometime before 2011. Wes Perkins, KL0FM, of Nome, Alaska, was seriously mauled by a grizzly bear during a hunting trip on Sunday, May 14. Four months after the attack, Wes is able to get around on his own, but is far from being back to life as he knew it. Perkins and his 2 hunting partners were following the tracks of a very large boar brown bear in the snow from the convenience of their snowmobiles. Perkins only got his rifle 1/2 way off his [slinged] back and baam! Throughout the attack, Perkins had remained conscious. "I turned and saw the bear, full charge," Perkins told Anchorage Daily News around a year after the attack. When the helicopter arrived Perkins said he was able to walk to it with help. Perkins, a former fire chief for the city of Nome in Alaska, told Newsweek that he managed to stay alert during the near deadly attack. ", Featured Image Credit: Donnie Rose/YouTube, Lewis Capaldi points out Harry Potter doppelgnger and fans cant unsee it. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. Wes Perkins, a 65-year-old former fire chief, not only lived to tell the tale, but wants to help anyone else who has gone through something similar. Any Wes. Things turned dark quickly, but the son had a gun and was able to take the bear down. 26 surgeries and more than $1 million accumulated in medical suspenses later, Wes is getting along. . '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 said. For more information, please see our short documentary by filmmaker Donnie Rosie, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Wes could feel his energy fading and the pain was mercifully numbed by his adrenaline. Leeds, AL. The day I left the hospital they told me I was addicted or dependent on opiates. Big bear.. iStock / Getty Images Plus / Donnie Rosie on Youtube. I had no time to do anything.". Perkins spent the next four months in hospital, undergoing numerous operations. His left eye, which sees only light and dark, weeps constantly. In my mind, Wes will forever be the luckiest unlucky gentleman to walk this earth. Perkins, who is a trained paramedic, recalls the attack vividly. . Big bear.". One year later, he returned to the wild with the people who saved his life. 'I turned and saw the bear, full charge,' Perkins told Anchorage Daily News in a previous interview. He too had mostly facial damage, but did not lose eyesight, or his jaw, lower chin, like I did. Your email address will not be published. Dan Stang said that he immediately grabbed his gun and started shooting the bear. Ace chopper pilot Ben Rowe saved his life, Nate said at the time, but Rowe was only one of the many who combined to save then 54 year old Wes. Every day is a day of improvement, and medical staff members are still working on getting him back to his best state. So I spent a couple of months at home that fall putting myself through the Wes Perkins Opiate Withdrawal Clinic.. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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.". There are 50+ professionals named "Wes Perkins", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. He said he started driving away and when he looked back the bear was on top of Wesley, Stock image of a grizzly or brown bear (pictured). SCROLL DOWN TO CURRENT BEAR ATTACKS IN CO, Colorado man survives bear attack in his kitchen. The bear then left Perkins and began to charge Stand. So when I stopped, I thought the bear was ahead of me. His will to survive and keep going, stay positive.'. Wesley was conscious," he said. Wes Perkins, a 65-year-old former fire chief, not only lived to tell the tale, but wants to help anyone else who has gone through something similar. The bear attack was so horrific, hard to look at or to think about. He too survived, most of his injuries were wounds, on the torso, leg, etcetera. I'm doing a 1970-rules '66 Chevy II as a fictitious local C/MP car. Extraordinary and incredible are the only two words fitting enough to describe the miracle that happened. . Wes actively works to encourage other survivors of animal attacks to. There was no airway unless I kept my head tilted to the side just right, Perkins said. His dad survived and was out of the hospital after 6 days. Darcee Perkins, Perkins' daughter, told Newsweek: 'Not any person would have survived this or continue to todayI couldn't have. A lot of people who get attacked never live to tell the story. Everything he consumes comes from a blender now, but its better than being underground. In 2011, Perkins had his face ripped off. Eventually we went around the hill and found the tracks and we were tracking the bear down,' he said. There is no gentle way to describe his condition. 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.". Don't miss a story! 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". Wes Perkins is whole in body and still badly disfigured. So I stayed alert all the way (to Nome), and I could squeeze the hands of my two partners when they asked me questions.". That act was accompanied by many others that have allowed Perkins to carry on with life. "So telling myself to function and never close my eyes or go unconscious was the main concentration.". I had no time to do anything. If hes alive now, hes going to make it. So I stayed alert all the way (to Nome), and I could squeeze the hands of my two partners when they asked me questions.. Interviewed by Youtuber Dannie Rose for. Man Had His Face Eaten Off By a Grizzly Bear w/Tom Segura | Joe Rogan. 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. 18. He dedicates a lot of his time to communicating with other mauling victims, helping them get through their recovery. If I was unconscious, I would have died. 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. Interviewed by Youtuber Dannie Rose for. Life is good, but it will never be the same after the unfortunate bear attack that nearly cost him his life. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 26 surgeries and more than $1 million accumulated in medical suspenses later, Wes is getting along. Rowe was in the air only minutes after taking a phone call from Nate. The 8-foot-tall bear then began to charge at him, leading his son to start shooting at the bear too. I had no time to do anything. Driving around the brush stand, Perkins stopped to rummage through his pack and get his camera for a keepsake photo of the scenery. Wes Perkisn was attacked by a bear while out hunting in 2011. 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