Hunter Shoots Himself On Accident While Being Attacked By Grizzly Bear
on Oct 24, 2022
65-year-old Lee Francis was sitting in a pool of blood while his son was frantically doing everything he could to stop his father from bleeding to death on Friday evening (Oct 21, 2022).
Lee had just shot himself in the leg on accident while trying to defend himself and his son from a grizzly bear that came charging out of nowhere.
The two Wyoming hunters were hunting in the Rock Creek area along the Sawtooth mountains when a grizzly bear attacked Lee.
He was able to draw his handgun and fire off several rounds which caused the bear to disengage and run away. However, one of the bullets stuck Lee in his lower leg.
“Lee’s son quickly activated his SOS device for help then began providing first aid to his dad to help control bleeding. As darkness was rapidly approaching, a plan was devised through contact on the SOS device to rendezvous with TTSAR members near Water Dog Lake,” Sublette County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.
Lee’s son was able to get his dad onto his horse and assist him with making their way back towards the lake while TTSAR (Tip Top Search and Rescue) volunteers using utility vehicles made their way to the men.
“The two parties met up around 9:20pm in the Big Twin Creek drainage where further first aid was rendered. Lee was extracted by UTV back to the ranch where a life flight helicopter was waiting,” Sublette County Sheriff’s Office said.
Lee was then flown to the University of Utah Hospital where he received further treatment while a TTSAR member accompanied his son and the horses back home on a trail.
Wyoming Game and Fish notified Game Wardens and they launched an investigation while trying to locate the grizzly bear. Authorities said that this marks the second grizzly bear attack this month in Western Wyoming.
