Wyoming grandfather says Yellowstone bison spared his life after 8-foot toss shattered femur

A visit to Yellowstone National Park turned violent when a bull bison hurled a grandfather from Washington state about 8 feet into the air, leaving him with a shattered femur.

As he starts what is likely to be a lengthy recovery, he says the encounter might have been far more serious.

What happened?

Speaking after the Friday incident near Yellowstone's Bridge Bay campsite, Carl McDaniel, 65, said he believes the bison may have saved his life by not continuing the attack after he was down. In a CNN interview detailed by The Guardian, he said he and his 13-year-old grandson had been out for an after-dinner walk when they noticed the animal about 100 yards away.

Before it charged, McDaniel said, the bison did not seem distressed, so they paused for a few photos and kept going. Then it suddenly came at them. "There was little time to decide what to do," he said, explaining that he sent his grandson one direction and went another to try to pull the animal's focus. His grandson was not injured.

Footage recorded by photographer Mike MacLeod and later viewed more than 1.1 million times on YouTube shows the roughly 2,000-pound bull catching McDaniel and tossing him into the air. He suffered a broken femur in four places, along with severe bruising, and was first taken to a hospital before being transferred by ambulance to Bozeman, Montana, for surgery.

Why does it matter?

The incident took place during Yellowstone's bison rut, which typically lasts from June into about September and can make the animals especially unpredictable.

Visitors often encounter animals along roadsides, in campgrounds, and on walking paths, and even when people think they are keeping a safe distance, conditions can change in seconds. MacLeod described this particular bull as "agitated, pissed off and charging anything and everything."

What can I do?

Viewing wildlife means keeping your distance rather than approaching. A bison that appears calm can still react suddenly, especially during mating season or when people are nearby in developed areas such as campgrounds.

If an animal seems restless, blocks a trail, or begins moving toward people, the safest response is to back away early and create more space than may seem necessary. Visitors should also avoid stopping for close-up photos or assuming a situation is safe simply because other people are nearby.

According to the US National Park Service, responders arrived quickly after campers — including MacLeod — rushed over and made noise to drive the bison away.

"All the people that were there were amazing," McDaniel told CNN, per The Guardian. "They were all positive – they were trying to help as best they could." He also said the ordeal "was not as catastrophic as it could have been."

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