A man in Alaska was hospitalized after accidentally shooting himself in the leg while defending against a brown bear.
Tyler Johnson, 32, was on Kenai Peninsula’s Resurrection Pass Trail south of Anchorage with his father when they encountered a brown bear. The bear charged at Johnson, prompting him to shoot in an attempt to protect himself.
“Fortunately, I managed to draw my pistol and fire as I fell backwards,” Johnson recounted of the horror bear attack. He was shot in the leg, with the bullet passing through it.
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Johnson was uncertain whether additional injuries were due to his self-inflicted gunshot or the bear’s attack. “I definitely felt the bear bite into me,” he said.
The Alaska Department of Public Safety reported that first aid was provided in the field after Johnson sent an SOS. He was subsequently airlifted to an Anchorage hospital for further treatment. The bear was killed by hunters during the incident, according to troopers.