Grandfather recovering from surgery after bison attack at Yellowstone sent him flying

Yellowstone Grandfather Survives Dramatic Bison Encounter, Undergoes Surgery for Broken Leg

A Routine Family Vacation Turns Into a Medical Emergency

Grandfather recovering from surgery after bison – What began as an annual pilgrimage for a grandfather and his young grandson quickly transformed into an unexpected hospital visit following a startling encounter with a wild bison at Yellowstone National Park. Carl McDaniel, a 65-year-old man from Montana, found himself hospitalized with a severely broken femur after an aggressive bison charged toward him and his grandson on a Friday evening. The incident occurred at the park’s Bridge Bay Campground, where the pair had been enjoying an evening stroll after dinner.

According to statements made by McDaniel himself and confirmed by the National Park Service, the grandfather was tossed into the air by the charging animal before landing hard on the ground. The encounter was captured on video by a bystander, providing dramatic footage of the moment the bison became agitated and lunged toward the unsuspecting visitors.

The Calm Before the Storm

McDaniel recounted the peaceful beginning of their walk, describing how they had spotted a large bison rolling in the dust nearby. The animal appeared completely relaxed and was not displaying any signs of aggression toward other park visitors. “We were about a hundred yards away,” McDaniel explained to reporters. “He was not aggressive; he was not having problems and we took some pictures and decided to walk on.”

The grandfather and his 13-year-old grandson snapped a quick photograph of the bison before continuing their leisurely walk along the campground path. What they did not realize was that a passing truck driver would soon inadvertently trigger the bison’s defensive response. The driver laid on his horn in an attempt to encourage the animal to move out of the way, and according to McDaniel, this action appeared to agitate the bison considerably.

“There was little time to decide what to do. At that point, he was within 100 yards; he could be to us in seconds, so I told my grandson to run in one direction and I went the other to try and draw him away,” McDaniel said.

A Life-Threatening Moment

The bison then began running directly toward the pair, and McDaniel made the split-second decision to separate from his grandson to protect him. The animal charged forward and pushed McDaniel with the top of its massive head, sending the grandfather flying through the air before he crashed to the ground. McDaniel described the terrifying moment when he found himself immobile on the ground with the bison positioned directly over him.

“When I was on the ground immobile, unable to move, he was right on top of me. He could have stomped on me, he could have gored me, he could have done almost anything to take my life, and he did not do so,” McDaniel recalled.

Photographer Mike MacLeod, who had been recording the encounter on video, immediately recognized the danger and sprang into action. He stopped filming and ran toward the bison, yelling loudly while attempting to appear as large and intimidating as possible to protect the injured grandfather.

Recovery and Reflection

Once the bison moved away, park visitors rushed to McDaniel’s aid. He was experiencing significant pain, and Yellowstone emergency medical services arrived promptly to provide assistance. Park personnel transported McDaniel to a nearby hospital in Bozeman, where he underwent surgery on Sunday to repair his broken femur. The body’s strongest bone was fractured in four separate locations near his hip, along with several bruises sustained during the fall.

McDaniel expressed deep gratitude for the strangers who helped him during the ordeal. “All the people that were there were amazing; they were all positive, they were trying to help as best they could,” he said. A nurse tended to his leg while another bystander held his head steady during the two-hour journey to the hospital, a trip McDaniel described as intensely painful.

This incident marks the second bison attack at Yellowstone National Park this year. According to the National Park Service, a 12-year-old child was injured near Mud Volcano on June 26. McDaniel, who could stand by Monday following his surgery, noted that while the injury was serious, it was not as catastrophic as it could have been. He will undergo physical therapy in the coming days to regain his ability to walk normally.

The National Park Service continues to advise all visitors to maintain a minimum distance of 25 yards from bison at all times and to never approach these powerful animals. If a bison begins following a visitor, the agency recommends spraying bear spray while moving away and seeking cover behind nearby trees or vehicles for protection.

CNN’s Sharif Paget contributed to this report.