A 65-year-old grandfather from Washington state was severely injured after being tossed 8ft into the air by an agitated bull bison at Yellowstone National Park. Carl McDaniel, a community board member from Kendall, Washington, sustained broken bones and other injuries during the encounter on Friday, July 10, at Bridge Bay Campground near Lake Yellowstone.
Viral Video Captures the Attack
The incident was recorded by photographer Mike MacLeod, who rushed to help McDaniel after filming. The video, posted by Wyoming news outlet Cowboy State Daily, has garnered over a million views on social media. MacLeod described the bison, estimated at 2,000lb (900kg), as “agitated, pissed off” and noted that McDaniel and his grandson were at a “respectful distance” when the animal charged.
Despite his injuries, McDaniel remained conscious and in good spirits. “He was in a lot of pain with his leg, and otherwise he was conscious the whole time, in good spirits, joking,” MacLeod told the New York Times.
Community Leader and Family Man
According to Washington state’s Cascadia Daily News, McDaniel serves on several community boards in East Whatcom county, including a community alliance focused on improving communications for rural residents and the Columbia Valley water and parks districts. He was on a trip to Yellowstone with his grandson, who was uninjured in the attack.
Family members told NBC News that McDaniel was undergoing surgery and recovering in hospital on Monday.
Eyewitness Account and Safety Concerns
MacLeod, a former combat photographer with a degree in wildlife biology, recounted the event on NBC’s Today show. He initially thought the bison was charging at a pickup truck, but after the vehicle passed, the animal redirected its charge toward McDaniel and his grandson. “It went from a little bit of amusing to watch to critical emergency,” he said. MacLeod stopped filming to distract the bison, which was eventually chased off by a group of people at the campground.
MacLeod emphasized that McDaniel and his grandson did nothing wrong, noting that he later saw “half a dozen far more dangerous instances where people were way closer and being aggressive.”
National Park Service Guidelines
The National Park Service (NPS) advises visitors to stay at least 100 yards (90 meters) away from bears, wolves, and cougars, and a minimum of 25 yards from all other animals, including bison. “If an animal moves closer to you, back away to maintain a safe distance,” the park’s website states. “It’s illegal to willfully remain near or approach wildlife, including birds, within any distance that disturbs or displaces the animal.”
Bison rutting season in Yellowstone runs from June to September, but the NPS could not confirm if that contributed to the animal’s aggression. In a statement, the NPS said: “A 65-year-old man was injured by a bison on the evening of July 10 at Bridge Bay Campground near Lake Yellowstone. Park emergency medical personnel responded and transported him to a nearby hospital. There are no further details to share.”
