Veteran Who Lost His Jaw In A Bear Attack Says His Gun Misfired

Even the most vigilant or experienced person can still be left with an unwarranted life lesson from a bear attack, and such was the tale for Rudy Noorlander!

The veteran, who had his jaw ripped off by a 10-foot bear, was unlucky because of a mishap with his weapon that gave the grizzly time to attack. Surviving such a gruesome attack certainly leaves a mark of trauma, but Rudy is sticking with a mindset of gratitude.

Rudy, who got a severe jaw injury from the grizzly bear attack, is now home with daughter Ashley Noorlander and loving dog Sully. The veteran stepped out on a trail trip in Big Sky on September 8, accompanied by two clients renting equipment from him.

The three of them were searching for a deer that they had shot and wounded. Ashley recalled that Rudy offered to help them, saying, "My dad was like, 'Hey, I'll help y'all come find it."

Unfortunately for Rudy, a grizzly bear lurked in the woods and pounced on him in a split second, denying him time to apply his bear spray. In the middle of the brawl, Rudy's gun misfired as he recalled:

"In one second, just enough time for me to pull the gun up and fire—and it was on me."

The bear bit off the front of Rudy's lower jaw left scratch marks on his chest, and bites on his arms and legs. The veteran who underwent an intense surgical procedure after the attack remains grateful for his life as he said:

"I'm only here by the grace of God."

His daughter Ashley added, "He's my rock. I'm very fortunate and happy that he is still here." For Ashley, getting informed about her father being attacked by a grizzly bear was certainly not on her bingo card for the year.

"I never thought I would ever get that phone call. The guys go, well we're with Rudy. He got attacked by a grizzly bear and he's in pretty bad shape," she recalled per KBZK.

Rudy was admitted to the University of Utah Health for five weeks after the surgery and cites "attitude, support, family, and friends" as the most significant contributors to his healing.

Ashley also acknowledged strangers' "phenomenal" support throughout their battle to save Rudy's life. However, it is not the end of the road yet, as his family has set up a fundraising channel to help cover expenses for another surgery slated for March 2024.

Rudy is ready to head back into the backcountry, but this experience has left an indelible mark in his life, as he said, "I'm ready to get right back to doing my thing, but it has changed me. I definitely see God's hand in my life."

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Like Rudy, a security guard in a resort in Aspen, Colorado, also got hit by a nasty grizzly bear last month. The incident happened at the St. Regis Aspen Resort kitchen at about 11 p.m. on Monday, October 23.

The Blast reported that the victim received reports of a wandering bear around the kitchen area and proceeded to check things out. He, however, got attacked in the process of trying to arrest the animal, but he was able to escape and immediately called 911, who took him to the emergency room for treatment.

The security guard was discharged on Tuesday morning after he was treated for scratches on his back. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) explained that the bear entered through doors near the courtyard.

Upon wildlife officers' arrival at the attack scene, the bear had escaped to a nearby location, and efforts to capture it were futile, with concerns for public safety being top on the list.

Earlier in October, another unfortunate bear attack broke out at the Banff National Park, leaving behind two dead couples and a dog.

The late couple had informed nearby security about a bear attack from the Red Deer River Valley west of Ya Ha Tinda Ranch around 8 p.m., but the bad evening weather did not allow them to get to the scene on time.

The response team eventually arrived around 1 a.m. and was met by the dead bodies and the attacking bear, which they immediately euthanized to prevent more attacks.

The bodies of the couple, later identified to be common-law partners, were transported to Sunder, Alta, for more investigations.