A Montana man who had his jaw ripped off in a grizzly bear attack is set to go home after five weeks in the hospital, his doctor and family said Friday.
Rudy Noorlander, 61, said he was looking forward to a root beer and reuniting with his Yorkshire terrier Sully during a news conference at the University of Utah Hospital.
Noorlander, a Montana Navy veteran, answered questions Friday mostly by writing on a white board after his jaw was torn off by a bear last month.
He was attacked last month while helping two hunters track a deer in Big Sky, Montana, about 55 miles from Yellowstone National Park.
In the search, he came upon a small bear guarding a deer carcass, then found a much larger bear, said to be 10 feet tall, charging from behind a tree.
With no time to reach for his bear spray, he tried and failed to shoot the angry animal.
The bear then took Noorlander down, bit off his jaw, scratched him on the chest and rained bites on his arms and legs.
Rudy Noorlander (right), 61, was in hospital for five weeks after a bear attack that tore off his jaw and left a scratch on his chest and bites on his arms and legs
After the attack, Noorlander was airlifted to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center in Salt Lake City for emergency surgery, then taken to the University of Utah Hospital.
He was attacked last month while helping two hunters track a deer in Big Sky, Montana, about 55 miles from Yellowstone National Park
“The first root beer float is going to taste so amazing and soon I’m going to be a free range chicken and not be addicted to anything,” he wrote in a statement read by one of his daughters KateLynn Noorlander Davis.
At Friday’s news conference, he was able to speak briefly, but it “hurts a little bit,” he said, adding that he was looking forward to returning to the outdoors.
He might even attend the rivalry football game next month between the Montana Grizzlies and his beloved Montana State Bobcats, he wrote.
“And he developed a whole new hatred for the University of Montana,” Davis said, referring to the team’s mascot.
Noorlander is expected to return home on Monday.
“Only by the hands of God am I here,” Noorlander wrote. “Believe it or not, I believe that this attack was an answer to my prayers and that it may help someone else going through something similar.”
Ashley Noorlander (left) and KateLynn Noorlander Davis (right) and his surgeon Hilary McCrary joined Noorlander at Friday’s new conference.
Noorlander said he was looking forward to a root beer and reuniting with his Yorkshire terrier
When a nurse asked him about the bear right after the attack, he wrote on his whiteboard that the bear French had kissed him
At the news conference, Noorlander was reluctant to take questions about the bear attack because he is preparing to write a book and tells the story himself.
He would also like to see Cole Hauser, an actor from the ‘Yellowstone’ television series, play his character in the film adaptation.
Noorlander wrote that his family and life motivated him to keep fighting and added ‘I will win Round 2’ with the bear.
He said he was also glad it was him who was attacked, rather than four older hikers he saw on the same trail that day.
Noorlander has remained in good spirits since the attack, his family said. When a nurse asked him about the bear just after the attack, he wrote on his whiteboard that the bear French had kissed him.
Noorlander’s surgeon Dr. Hilary McCrary was amazed at his determination to recover when she met him the day after the attack.
“He was very determined that he would fight this thing and get through it,” said Dr. McCrary said.
‘And at that point he was still on a ventilator and had a chest and lots of lines everywhere.
“Maybe if he’s really happy, we’ll float a root beer waiting for you in the room,” she told Noorlander.
Noorlander still has a small wound under his chin that will need to heal and doctors are working to get him ready to eat without risking infection, McCrary said, adding that he will need speech therapy.
After the attack, Noorlander was airlifted to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center in Salt Lake City for emergency surgery, then taken to the University of Utah Hospital.
The attack left Noorlander with a significant scratch along his chest and bites to his arms and legs
After the attack, Noorlander was airlifted to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center in Salt Lake City for emergency surgery, then taken to the University of Utah Hospital.
The attack left Noorlander with a significant scratch on his chest and bites to his arms and legs.
He also suffered stab marks on his head and a collapsed lung.
Noorlander’s daughter KateLynn told his story online.
“Rudy aimed his gun at the bear, but his firearm misfired, making his best choice of defense his fists, as he didn’t have time to get his bear spray from his backpack,” Davis said.
“As the bear jumped, the only thing Rudy could do was punch the bear, hoping to slow it down. Unfortunately it didn’t, and after the first hit the grizzly was on top of Rudy.’
Worst of all, the bear “gave him what Rudy described as the most disgusting French kiss of his life before biting down and ripping off his lower jaw.”
The Navy veteran (left), owns and operates Alpine Adventures, a snowmobile and ATV rental in Big Sky, Montana
The 61-year-old is said to remain in positive spirits and retain his sense of humour
Madison County dispatch received a 911 call at 1:47 p.m., according to a press release from Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue.
Since the bears were still in the area, the first helicopter to arrive had to wait for backup to help keep them away.
Noorlander waited two hours until he could be picked up safely.
“An incredible feat of strength, as he did not succumb to fear, pain or blood loss,” Davis wrote.
Grizzly bears in the lower 48 states is listed as endangered in terms of the Endangered Species Act.
It is illegal to injure, harass or kill them, except in cases of self-defense or the defense of others.