A visit to one of America's most celebrated national parks turned terrifying when a bull bison charged and gored a 65-year-old grandfather near Lake Yellowstone. The injured man has since been identified as Carl McDaniel, a well-known community leader from East Whatcom County in Washington state. Video of the encounter shows the powerful animal catching up to him as he tried to shelter behind a line of trees, hooking him, lifting him clear off the ground and hurling him several feet before he crashed back down. He suffered serious injuries in the July 10 attack.
The harrowing moments were recorded by a professional photographer who was in the area at the time and later posted the footage online. A separate clip filmed shortly before the attack shows the same bison moving through the Bridge Bay campground, lumbering unnervingly close to tents where visitors were staying, an early sign of just how agitated and unpredictable the animal had become before it turned on the grandfather.
Emergency crews responded quickly to the scene near Lake Yellowstone after the attack, reaching the injured man and taking him to a nearby hospital. He had stopped with his grandchild to take a photo when the bison turned on him, and the child was not hurt. Officials and family say McDaniel suffered broken bones but is in good spirits as he recovers, a fortunate outcome given the sheer size and force of the animal that struck him and sent him flying through the air in front of horrified onlookers.
Bison can weigh more than 1,500 pounds, and despite their calm appearance while grazing they are wild animals capable of sudden bursts of speed over short distances. Park officials have repeatedly warned visitors not to approach them, cautioning that the animals can turn on people without warning when they feel crowded, cornered or threatened by anyone venturing too close for a photograph.
Authorities urge anyone exploring the park to keep their distance at all times, advising visitors to stay at least 25 yards away from bison and to retreat immediately if they find themselves too close. The guidance exists to prevent exactly the kind of sudden, violent confrontation that left the grandfather badly hurt and shaken his family during what should have been an ordinary summer outing.
Dangerous encounters have continued despite years of pleas for caution. Officials recalled that just last summer a man was seen trying to feed a bison before narrowly getting away, an illustration of how some visitors still badly underestimate the risk. Each close call renews warnings from rangers for people to treat the animals with the respect and wariness that creatures of their power plainly demand.
Back home, McDaniel is a familiar figure in his community, serving on the Foothills Community Alliance and the Columbia Valley Water and Parks Districts, and news of his injuries has drawn concern from neighbors who know him. The latest attack has once again focused attention on visitor safety in a park that draws enormous crowds every summer. For the recovering grandfather and the family who watched the ordeal unfold, it was a stark reminder that the wildlife roaming freely across the landscape is not a spectacle to be approached but a genuine and formidable danger that deserves a wide and respectful berth.