Arizona woman gored by bison at Yellowstone; 'Hands down the most difficult thing I've witnessed'
PHOENIX - A woman from Phoenix was seriously hurt after she was gored by a bison on the morning of July 17 at Yellowstone National Park.
Officials say the 47-year-old woman was walking with her fiance near the Lake Lodge Cabins on the north shore of Lake Yellowstone when they encountered two bison.
"Upon seeing them, the visitors turned to walk away from the bison," Yellowstone National Park wrote on Facebook. "One of the bison charged and gored the woman."
The woman was airlifted to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center after receiving significant injuries to her chest and abdomen.
"It is unknown how close the individuals were to the bison when it charged," the park said.
Officials say this is the first reported incident involving a bison since June 28, 2022.
On July 19, the woman's fiancé spoke about her recovery and gave words of warning.
'Hands down the most difficult thing I've witnessed'
For the Phoenix area couple Chris Whitehill and his fiancée Amber Harris, the first day of their vacation at Yellowstone National Park started out perfectly.
"The morning started out great. We woke up, went to grab a cup of coffee from the café, and just go out and soak up nature for a little bit. It took a turn for the worst really quickly," Chris said.
As he and Amber were on path down to the lake, Chris, an avid outdoorsman, noticed a bison about 50–60 yards away that turned its attention on Amber.
They started slowly moving away when the bison suddenly charged.
"He scratched at the ground and I started screaming and yelling and trying to distract him, and he charged at Amber hitting her square in the abdomen. I looked over my shoulder, and she was 8–10 feet in the air and landed right on her back," Chris said.
Amber was left with 7 fractured vertebrae and two partially collapsed lungs.
"It’s hands down the most difficult thing I've witnessed and praise God she won’t have to have surgery, but it is going to be a long road to recovery for her," Chris said.
As Chris waits by his fiancee's side on their ill-fated vacation, he has some advice for anyone visiting a national park this summer.
"Stay in your vehicles when you see the wild animals and don’t bother getting out of your vehicle because they are completely unpredictable," he warned.
A GoFundMe to help can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/na8gpg-help-with-medical-bills
(Yellowstone National Park)
Safety information from Yellowstone National Park
"Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park are wild and can be dangerous when approached. When an animal is near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot, or in a developed area, give it space. Stay more than 25 yards (23 m) away from all large animals - bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes - and at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves. If need be, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal in proximity.
During mating season (rut) from mid-July through mid-August, bison can become agitated more quickly. Use extra caution and give them additional space during this time.
Bison are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans."
Area where the incident occurred: