Catholic deacon fell 93 feet while grizzly bear attacked in Montana's Glacier National Park

Catholic deacon Anthony Pollio, 33, died after a recent grizzly bear attack in Montana's Glacier National Park, with investigators concluding that the encounter caused him to tumble 93 feet down a slope before the animal attacked again.

The findings offer a grim look at how quickly a backcountry wildlife encounter can become fatal, particularly when humans and large predators cross paths at close range in low-visibility conditions.

What happened?

On May 3, Pollio — an avid outdoorsman from Davie, Florida — was hiking alone on the Mt. Brown Lookout Trail when he encountered what an interagency report described as an adult male grizzly bear he had apparently surprised, according to the New York Post.

According to investigators, "darkness and deadfall on the trail would have prevented the bear and Mr. Pollio from seeing each other until they were very close."

After deploying all of his bear spray, Pollio fell 93 feet downslope — "probably while the bear continued its attack," the report said.

It described the encounter as an "intense" defensive attack and said Pollio climbed 18 feet back up before the grizzly "reengaged and killed Mr. Pollio."

Officials concluded that "Mr. Pollio appears to have been the victim of a defensive attack by a surprised grizzly bear." They also found that the bear was a longtime resident of the park and had not previously attacked people. Glacier National Park had not recorded a fatal bear attack since 1998.

Pollio's body was found May 6 in a densely wooded area about 2.5 miles up the trail.

Investigators pointed to the late-hour conditions on the trail — Pollio was heading toward a lookout near sunset — as part of what led to the sudden encounter.

What can I do?

The findings prompted park investigators to emphasize ways visitors can lower the risk of a dangerous bear encounter, including carrying bear spray, remaining alert, not hiking alone, and steering clear of trails overnight and around dawn or dusk, when bears are most active.

Officials also advised that sounds like talking, singing, or clapping might startle bears.

Arthur Pollio, Pollio's father, said that his son was "fearless."

Reflecting on the life he lived, Arthur said, "His life experiences in 33 years — some people don't get to do 'til they're 90 or their whole life."

In his final voicemail before the hike, Pollio ended with: "Love you."

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