And that is the amazing part of this story. , updated His dad survived and was out of the hospital after 6 days. According to the Alaska State Troopers, Perkins and two friends had been tracking the bear east of Nome-- located on the Seward Peninsula-- when the big grizzly charged the group.Perkins' companions shot and killed the animal during the attack. "I started spooning liquid in back of my throat as it would get so dry. 'I knew I could hear so I could talk to Ed and Dan who were with me.'. Paramedic Wes Perkins, from Alaska, is lucky to be alive after going out on a bear hunt with two pals. He was taken to Madison Valley Medical Center in Ennis where he needed eight hours of stitching to sort out his injuries. 26 surgeries and more than $1 million accumulated in medical suspenses later, Wes is getting along. "Her parents mined at Solomon, Iron Creek. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 2. death_of_gnats 4 yr. ago. Wesley Perkins, 54, an experienced hunter and former . When I turned around, the bear was that close. Rowe was in the air only minutes after taking a phone call from Nate. The sudden pain made me flinch and gasp for breath. So that will have to wait. When I turned around, the bear was that close. But I've been home almost a year, just not out that much.". His partners were Dan Stang, a Nome dentist, and his son, Edward, a student in dentistry school at the time. His left eye, which sees only light and dark, weeps constantly. Orr eventually was able to walk back to his truck and drive 17 miles to get help. Wes Perkins "never lost consciousness" while being mauled by a grizzly bear during a hunting trip in Alaska, and he still remembers what he was thinking as the animal tore away his tongue and jaw. I had no time to do anything. They are wild animals, and they act in the way of wild animals. It was a big bite.". He spent four months in hospital, undergoing a number of operations to reconstruct his face. Ruth Bashinsky For Dailymail.Com Especially the nose. Wes Perkins, 54, followed the big beast in a snowmobile in a hilly area outside . The day I left the hospital they told me I was addicted or dependent on opiates. She slammed down on top of me and bit my shoulder and arms again, Orr wrote in a Facebook post. Withdrawal from the methadone, he said, might have been the worst part of his long and continuing ordeal. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. "I make blend, Ensure milk, blueberries. "Ace chopper pilot Ben Rowe saved his life," Nate said at the time, but Rowe was only one of the many who combined to save then 54-year-old Wes's life. But I got (my) gun 1/2way off my back . The 8-foot-tall bear then began to charge at him, leading his son to start shooting at the bear too. Go to the mall in a cab and then walk around there. 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This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. They shot the 8-foot-tall, 13-year-old grizzly bear off of Perkins, which was the first action made that lead to survival of Wes. Despite being excruciatingly disfigured, Perkins never lost contiousness. I . He'd probably be better off spending the rest of his life somewhere warmer than this isolated, far-north community. You're fine.' So how did this nightmare of situation come about? ", "I turned and saw the bear, full charge," he wrote. He has a speech therapist in Anchorage, Anne Ver Hoef, the snowshoer of Iditarod Trail Invitational fame. He is thankful beyond belief, especially to the Stangs. Rowe was in the air only minutes after taking a phone call from Nate. Dannie Rose released a short film about Perkins' experience. So we walk around the lake where they live. I could see images, then people. View our online Press Pack. Despite all this, Perkins keeps moving forward with that indomitable spirit that defines the best of those living in rural Alaska. The best result we found for your search is Wes Henry Perkins age 50s in Oswego, IL. "Then a cane. They have also lived in Downers Grove, IL and Joliet, IL. ", Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. Withdrawal left him either freezing or sweating. 'Ed was ahead of me and I was right behind him. Let us know via science@newsweek.com. Nine steps from 69 feet, according to Fish and Game. It is getting better. Perkins, who was nearly mauled to death by the grizzly's razor-like teeth, miraculously survived the brutal attack, and said in the video he 'remembers everything'. Perkins' brother Nate made the radio call. Mr Perkins also said that while his own journey has not been easy, he continues to see improvements and reach milestones even a decade after the attack. Farm Equipment For Sale - 0 Listings | TractorHouse.com - Page 0 of 0 At TractorHouse.com. The bear was on him seemingly before he hit the ground. Also, (as) long as I lay still just right I was able to keep my airway open. The bear immediately clamped his 12 inch wide bite across Wess face and locked on. Allena Hansen was mauled by a black bear on her ranch in the Sequoia Mountains, California, in 2008. As Brooke lay bleeding, he could see his nose and mustache on the ground. A trained paramedic, he remembers reaching into his throat to pull out pieces of his face to keep his airway open so he wouldn't suffocate after the attack. He was quoted in the interview with Anchorage Daily News: I had to dig stuff out of (my) airway to breathe, he wrote. The attack happened in 2011 but 65-year-old Wes Perkins still bears the scars of a terrifying encounter with a grizzly beast in the Alaskan mountains. I used a cane, as they said I had to. BEARS have a rather loveable image thanks to many children having a soft teddy bear to cuddle at night but the reality can be very different. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. Dad, teacher from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, moved to Council to teach school in 1952 or '53. The bear charged at Mr Perkins, causing him to lose his teeth, tongue and jaw, before it was subdued and eventually killed by Mr Stang and his son. "I did not know the bear was 69 feet away in a snow cave. "I had a camera in my pocket, snowgo jacket. Paramedic Wes Perkins, from Alaska, is lucky to be alive after going out on a bear hunt with two pals. Perkins, who spent his life in Alaska, has a fair bit of experience around grizzlies, but added, "I never had one hide like this one!" What followed after it burst from a snow cave has been an experience he couldn't imagine in his worst nightmares. "I have never been really depressed that I can remember," Wes wrote. 'I had no airway unless I kept my head tilted to the side just right,' Perkins said. The bear then began to maul Mr Perkins, who lost his teeth, tongue and jaw in the attack, before Mr Stang and his son killed the bear. This followed a viscous attack on a ranger and another ranger's 12-year old son. Fjeld then called for help on his satellite phone. Interviewed by Youtuber Dannie Rose for a . Something went wrong, please try again later. They are not good or bad, they are simply wild animals, and that is something to be remembered. An Alaskan hunter who was mauled by a grizzly bear over the weekend was clinging to life in a medically-induced coma, health official said. So I always helped others, never thought I would be on the receiving end, but very grateful for all the help and support for sure. "It was either lie there and bleed out or get the hell out of there, so I left.". I have helped others my whole life, and never imagined that I would be on the receiving end of things, but the brotherhood of Nome, my brothers in the fire service, from Seattle, Anchorage, Nome, came out to support and fundraise for me and helped me through this recovery, Mr Perkins told Newsweek. Tom Sommer, Grizzly Bear, Montana, Non-fatal This grizzly bear attack happened just two years ago and went wildly viral for the photos of Sommer's wounds. Every day is a day of improvement, and medical staff members are still working on getting him back to his best state. "At the time I didn't have many options," she added. All over the states and Canada. The painkillers that he was given began to become addictive, Perkins said, but his family and friends supported his efforts to wean himself off: "I was on morphine, and opiates and methadone in my recovery. There is no gentle way to describe his condition. There is no gentle way to describe his condition. Unfortunately, this provoked the mother bear, who charged. Wes still hopes to improve his speech. He spent two months recovering in Anchorage," Perkins said. I know if I lost consciousness, I would probably die. ', The comments below have not been moderated, By The bear bit over and over. The whole left side of his body was crushed, and he had bites and lacerations all over his body, according to Dr Lili Daniali, one of the medics who treated him. "Got my EMT II recertification in May back," he wrote. 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