Washington man tossed by bison at Yellowstone, video captures attack

Courtesy of Mike MacLeod.

Alex McCollum NonStop Local Multimedia Journalist

UPDATE: July 21 at 8:40 p.m.

Carl McDaniel spoke publicly about the encounter that sent him to Bozeman Health for emergency care.

McDaniel said the animal did not appear aggressive at first. He said he had his grandson with him when the situation changed and he told the child to move up to the amphitheater.

"We saw the bison, he was down, he wasn't showing aggression or anything like that until it picked a target. That target happened to be me. At the time I had my grandson with me, I was like, get up to the ampetheater, I will deal with this down here. They move faster than you could ever imagine. He just kept coming and he was more aggressive and as soon as he got off that tree, he launched me in the air," Carl said.

The attack left McDaniel with serious injuries. He was airlifted to Bozeman, where he received emergency treatment at Bozeman care.

Bozeman Health said his care included the trauma bay, operating room, hospital floor and rehabilitation. The hospital said specialists across the facility helped guide him through each stage of his recovery.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyoming. — A Washington man is injured and recovering after a bull bison charged him in Yellowstone National Park over the weekend. 

Mike MacLeod, a photographer from Bozeman, captured the encounter on video at Bay Bridge Campground near Yellowstone Lake after a man identified as 65-year-old Carl McDaniel and his grandson walked through the area while staying clear of a bull bison rolling in the dust. 

However, after a white truck drove by, the bison got to its feet and charged toward McDaniel and his grandson. 

“The bison just is like, he had a single purpose in mind, and he was going after those two,” MacLeod said. 

McDaniel and his grandson split up as they ran. The grandson moved out of view while McDaniel ran through the trees, attempting to hide from the bison and throw it off his tail. The bison paused to shake a tree with his horns before pursuing McDaniel again. 

“We've seen a lot of near misses, some false charges and that sort of thing, but nothing —anything—like this,” MacLeod said. 

The bison eventually caught up to McDaniel and tossed him high into the air. It continued to stand over him, shaking its head and wagging its tail. That is when other campers intervened. 

“I was really afraid that he was going to gore the victim or stomp on him and so I dropped my camera and ran after the bison and started yelling and screaming and jumping up and down," MacLeod said. "And then some other men in the campground joined me and we were successfully able to haze the bison away." 

After the attack, campers stayed behind to make sure the bison had left. They checked McDaniel’s injuries, made sure his grandson was safe and stayed with him while first responders were on the way. 

MacLeod said he stayed in contact with McDaniel, who wanted to watch the video to make sure he responded the right way during the attack. 

“He was a, you know, he was an upstanding citizen. He wanted to do the right thing and set the right example," MacLeod said. "He did have a reaction. And what he did say is, 'I hope you published the heck out of it so that people know.'" 

The story has also become a reminder for other Yellowstone visitors. While some people have been flipped or gored after getting too close to bison, McDaniel was following park rules and recommendations. 

Yellowstone rules say people must stay at least 25 yards from bison and elk, or about two school bus lengths. If a bison charges, people should run and hide behind cars or trees, which McDaniel did. 

Grace and Evan Zeller were visiting the park from Texas with their family and said they saw the video circulating online over the weekend. 

"At first, I thought, like, 'Dude, you’re just in the wrong spot. You need to go out of the way.' But then after watching the video, I did feel like he tried to get out of the way before the bison had any interaction with them. And then he was targeted for some reason," Grace said. 

The family saw a lot of bison, elk and some bears during their trip visit, but they were extra cautious. 

“We have seen people, like, probably the past few days that are getting out and getting pretty close to them. And, I mean, our rule is we stay in the car. Yeah, we're in the car," they said. 

The couple said they were still looking forward to seeing more wildlife throughout the rest of their trip.  

For predators such as bears, wolves and mountain lions, park rules say people should stay at least 100 yards away, or about eight school bus lengths. 

ORIGINAL COVERAGE: July 13 at 6:08 p.m.