Doctors told him he may never be able to eat or drink via his mouth again. The story and what are apparently the photos resulting from a bear attack are hard to look at, hard to think about, and hard to imagine. Eventually he was taken to the Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, Colorado where he received specialist care. Also known as Wes Perkins, Perkins Perkins, Perkins Charles Wesley. His facial reconstruction required titantium plates in both cheeks and a titanium jawbone. I could not move my face sideways or my airway would close. Orr eventually was able to walk back to his truck and drive 17 miles to get help. Mr Stang then radioed for help, and it was Mr Perkins brother who answered the call and helped dispatch responders. Terms & Conditions! and our And probably worst of all, for a man who always loved to talk, he is now hard to understand because he speaks with only half a tongue. Imagine having the worst case of the flu you've ever known, and you'll get the idea. James Callery For Mailonline
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. short documentary by filmmaker Donnie Rosie, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Driving around the brush stand, Perkins stopped to rummage through his pack and get his camera for a keepsake photo of the scenery. Bear spray doesnt always work but its better than nothing.. I had no time to do anything.". It's been a long road for her and the kids, too. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. After his story made headlines earlier this week, a Montana TV station went to the hospital to talk to him about the experience. Dannie Rose released a short film about Perkins' experience. Doctors had to use part of his fibula to create a jaw to replace what the bear ripped off of his face. I do everything else, he said. Perkins was there the day that happened. He then bit my head really hard. The victim's brother quickly responded to a call for help and contacted a rescue helicopter. I had tremendous family and friend support. The detail and information found inside this story will blow your mind. In the brutal attack she lost her nose, ears and 14 teeth. Don't miss a story! It was a big bite.". He rushed to the hospital in Nome, stabilized, and then transffered to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. I stopped not realizing the bear was was only 70 feet away in a hole.'. . Fair warning: Some of the accounts in this story are EXTREMELY GRAPHIC. As the bear shook his head like a dog with a toy, the bones in Perkins' face cracked like pottery on a tile floor. That was the first step to saving his life.
Wes remembers them all. Published by at June 13, 2022. However, as they tried to go up the hill towards the bear, they lost track of the animal which seemed to have disappeared. 15:31 GMT 28 Jan 2023. The bear immediately launched an attack, lifting Brooke off his feet and tearing into him. It was a conclusion that emerged from the fog of battle because the Stangs had found his camera on the ground next to where the bear knocked him off his snowmachine before mauling him. 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. Out of nowhere, the bear reappearedmuch closer than they had thought. As soon as the bear mauled onto Perkins, his hunting buddy Dan Stang grabbed a gun and started shooting the bear. Doctors had to use part of his fibula to create a jaw to replace what the bear ripped off of his face. "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. Paramedic Wes Perkins, from Alaska, is lucky to be alive after going out on a bear hunt with two pals. He was only saved by Fjeld managing to find his gun and shoot the bear dead. 'I was getting wet from the snow and starting to get cold,' Perkins, who waited in for nearly an hour before help arrived, said. Throughout the attack, Perkins had remained conscious. The horrific attack took place in the Alaskan wilderness in 2011. She managed to fight it off thanks to the help of her two large dogs and by sticking her thumbnail in its eye. He said he immediately grabbed his gun and started shooting at the animal. As he flew, others were rolling into action, too. The attack has now become the subject of a short documentary by filmmaker Donnie Rosie, who was in Alaska for another project when he found out about Perkins' story. ", All of this due to one encounter with one bear on a hunting trip that went from a pleasant outing to a nightmare in the blink of an eye. So I was right behind her all the way. I started screaming to Ludvig, but the bear grabbed me and sank its teeth into my neck, dragging me out of my sleeping bag. "The bear grabbed his face, bit it and ripped it off. "I have a few issues sometimes with talking, as most of my damage was facial, lower jaw, but most understand me if I slow down and do not get excited," Perkins said. When I turned around, the bear was that close. 'I knew I could hear so I could talk to Ed and Dan who were with me.'. As soon as the surgery is over, I would love to go back to work. ", Darcee Perkins, Perkins' daughter, told Newsweek: "Not any person would have survived this or continue to todayI couldn't have. At his Nome home earlier this month, recognizing that a reporter was having trouble understanding all of his words, he got out his notepad and conducted an interview in long hand. 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. They had seen the grizzly at a distance and began tracking it. I turned and saw the bear, full charge, Perkins said a year after the attack. That's what Shannun Rammel did following his grizzly bear experience up in Choteau, Montana. . "I probably saved Wes's life and my son saved my life in the same ordeal," Dan Stang said. There is no gentle way to describe his condition. Now she's (a) qualified ass-chewer for insurance companies.". The pair were forced to set up camp on the island of Nordaustlandet on July 22 due to bad weather. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. He told Newsweek: "I basically kept my airway open and had to dig the debris out of my airway, when I lost my tongue, jaw and all but a few teeth. "It was either lie there and bleed out or get the hell out of there, so I left.". "I used to talk a lot, and when they told me I would never talk or eat by mouth again, I really had to beat those odds as I could not imagine my active life without being able to do either. Wes Perkins, a 65-year-old former fire chief, not only lived to tell the tale, but wants to help anyone else who has gone through something similar. He still couldn't see. He had titanium plates inserted in both cheeks and a titanium rib around the jawbone during the facial reconstruction process. "Last winter a little tough being inside (in Nome). 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!" "I can taste some," he wrote, "and smell a little. All over the states and Canada. He nearly lost his life as essentially half of his face was ripped off by a big brown bear. A. Perkins most powerful and flexible tools for video analysis old Grizzly off him 5 yr. ago presence the dead! "I make blend, Ensure milk, blueberries. But I got (my) gun 1/2way off my back . It happened not far from Perkins home in Nome, Alaska. A team effort and incredible will power of a human to survive is what helped create this rescue and survival of epic proportions. He spent the following year back and forth between Seattle, Anchorage and Nome as doctors tried to rebuild his face. They shot the 8-foot-tall, 13-year-old grizzly boar off of Perkins. According to Anchorage Daily News, "Wes Perkins is whole in body and still badly disfigured. Perkins momentarily lost the bear tracks as the bear walked through a stand of brush too dense for the man to ride through on his snowmobile. It is getting better. The bear then rode on his back down a slope, crushing his body and started ripping off his face. A man who had half of his face ripped off by a bear says he had to dig mud out of his airway so he could breathe. The extent of his injuries led doctors to tell him that he may never be able to eat or drink via his mouth again. Privacy Policy. He was initially taken to a hospital in Nome and then to Seattle. They had spotted a grizzly bear in the distance, and began tracking it, but at some point, lost sight of the creature. "I've had some bad days and tough times the past year, but we get through it. Select this result to view Wes Henry Perkins's phone number, address, and more. A year after the attack in 2011, Mr Perkins said: "I only had time to say, 'Oh s***!' Despite surviving the attack, he was left with permanent damage as he still has issues talking, eating and drinking. Perkins said: '[I] do most everything I used to do but since I cannot close my mouth, I cannot swim and it's hard to run or jog, as my jaw bounces because I lost so much muscle in my jaw but hell, those are small things in life. Some 18 months and 26 surgeries after a grizzly bear ripped off his face, former Nome firefighter Wes Perkins says life is good and he "feels great." I saved myself from Royal life, Harry says & insists 'sharing's an act of service', Love Island's Olivia Hawkins breaks silence as she returns to the UK, Loose Women star lined up to be Strictly's first contestant in wheelchair, Coronation Street fans horrified as Amy Barlow is raped in disturbing scenes, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Doctors had to amputate one of Alexeys legs because of the severity of his injuries. When a Canadian family noticed a group of bears on their property, the father attempted to scare them off by firing a warning shot into the air. A still from an interview with Perkins, stood in front of a grizzly bear hide. Mr Perkins had been on a hunting trip with his friend Dan Stang and Stangs son Edward. Rowe was in the air only minutes after taking a phone call from Nate. Unbeknownst to Perkins he had inadvertently driven past the giant brown bear, now hidden in a snow cave about seventy feet behind him. Perkins said the snow helped 'numb what was left [of his face]'. 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. But suddenly the grizzly came charging towards Perkins. What I [am] able to do is let them know that it takes stages, Mr Perkins says in the documentary about the family of a survivor who reached out to him. When the helicopter arrived Perkins said he was able to walk to it with help. Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. Perkins was taken to a hospital in Nome before being transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He said when he rolled Perkins over he saw 'his whole face rolled right off'. Wes Perkins, a 65-year-old former fire chief, not only lived to tell the tale, but wants to help anyone else who has gone through something similar. Mr Stang said he immediately grabbed his gun and started shooting at the bear when he saw the animal on top of his friend. 65-year-old Wes Perkins recently shared his story with Newsweek. He left the ADN in 2015. Grizzly Bear takes Shotgun Blast at point-blank range. "I have never been really depressed that I can remember," Wes wrote. Doctors had to use part of his fibula to create a jaw to replace what the bear ripped off of his face. "I was lucky enough that I was able to get up, with their help, and walk into the helicopter," Perkins told Donnie Rosie in the video. Skip links. "When the bear attacked me it just grabbed me by the ears and bit into my face and took me down," Hansen told the Independent in 2020. Top 3 Results for Wes Perkins. The memories are good. The Wes Perkins Grizzly Bear Attack and Survival Story - Nome, AK. She said I can't leave hospital until I can climb stairs. 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. I have a few issues sometimes with talking, as most of my damage was facial, lower jaw, but most understand me if I slow down and do not get excited, Perkins said. If I was unconscious, I would have died. In the video Perkins, who became severely disfigured from the attack, said: 'We were out bear hunting. Do you have a question about surviving bear attacks? They are not good or bad, they are simply wild animals, and that is something to be remembered. So I stopped to take camera out of pocket and put it in my dash bag as I could shoot the gun. Perkins was on methadone for a long time after the bear attack to try to hold back the pain morphine couldn't stop. The bear then left Perkins and began to charge Stand. He said: "I probably saved Wes' life and my son saved my life from the whole ordeal.". We had one in 10 minutes for $250 and 2 people wanting to give us one. ', The comments below have not been moderated, By
'So telling myself to function and never close my eyes or go unconscious was the main concentration.'. Not sure there is an animal on earth more terrifying than a grizzly bear. It tore the whole front away with one punch. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Perkins rolled him forward and buried his face in the snow to help numb it while they immediately radioed for emergency aid. When I turned around, the bear was that close. So I spent a couple of months at home that fall putting myself through the Wes Perkins Opiate Withdrawal Clinic.. But they are certainly not related." His partners were Dan Stang, a Nome dentist, and his son, Edward, a student in dentistry school at the time. He said: 'I never lost consciousness. He was quoted in the interview with Anchorage Daily News: "I had to dig stuff out of (my) airway to breathe," he wrote. So I went to the second therapist at Alaska Regional and had a second test. Perkins would spend four months in the hospital and underwent numerous operations. I . "At the time I didn't have many options," she added. Extraordinary and incredible are the only two words fitting enough to describe the miracle that happened. So I stayed alert all the way (to Nome), and I could squeeze the hands of my two partners when they asked me questions.". I could sit home & do nothing and feel sorry, but I have always helped people, not needed help. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. He pretty much single-handedly organized a rescue to lift his brother from the wilderness of the Kigluaik Mountains, about 30 miles east of this small community. The bear had ripped off most of his jaw and tongue, and caused huge damage to one of his eyes. Even as the Stangs began life-saving first aid, they were radioing for help from Nome, a community far from anywhere at the tip of the Seward Peninsula jutting into the sea closer to Russia than Anchorage, the urban hub of the 49th state. Big bear.". Orr had got out looking for elk in Madison Valley when he came across a mummy bear with her two cubs. REMEMBER WHEN THIS TEENAGER SHOT AN 8-POINT BUCK IN HIS HOUSE. Interviewed by Youtuber Dannie Rose for. They are wild animals, and they act in the way of wild animals. Mr Perkins said he was aware of what was happening during the attack and kept his airway open to stay alive. His left eye, which sees only light and dark, weeps constantly. He spent four months in hospital, undergoing a number of operations to reconstruct his face. Withdrawal left him either freezing or sweating. Egy Dannie Rose nev filmes s youtuber rvidfilmet ksztett Wes Perkinsrl, a frfirl, akinek 2011-ben egy medve letpte a fl arct.. A filmbl kiderl, hogy Perkins, aki korbban az alaszkai Nome vros tzoltparancsnoka volt, 2011. mjus 16-n medvevadszatra indult bartjval, Dan Stang-gel, s annak fival, Edwarddal. Wes Perkins is from Alaska, and he knows he's lucky. Hunting Gone Wrong | The Gruesome Mauling of Wes Perkins *Still Alive. An avid outdoorsman, Wes loved to get out of the house and hunt animals as early in the year as he could, and in Alaska, that means spring bear hunting. Rather than fleeing like most usually do, the bear fed into it's fighting instinct, as it likely felt threatened. He nearly lost his life as essentially half of his face was ripped off by a big brown bear. By
It was essentially a bear hunt gone bad,a routine and pleasant hunt that took a turn for the worse when Perkins came across the wrong bear at the wrong time. She initially swiped his head and then his shoulder causing some nasty injuries but not life threatening. "Then a cane. "Been to Council (a community on the Nome road system where the family keeps a summer cabin), and camp. But I've been home almost a year, just not out that much.". What followed after it burst from a snow cave has been an experience he couldn't imagine in his worst nightmares. He is on a liquid diet. Some of it is extremely gruesome and vivid. "I did not know the bear was 69 feet away in a snow cave. It was sickeningly painful.. "Mom -- born here, raised here," Wes wrote. I cooked for people in town, made sausage, breads, etc.I push myself hard. "Surgery on my face left my one good eye swollen shut," he wrote. His left eye, which sees only light and dark, weeps constantly. He does not look bad with his sunglasses on, but the twisted look of his lower face, with his mouth offset to one side, is bound to draw second glances. As they were regrouping, the Grizzly exploded toward them from behind- Fish and game said the bear covered 69 feet in 9 steps! 171K views 1 year ago Wes Perkins shares his survival of a grisly bear attack in Council, Alaska, near Nome, Alaska. I dont know whats going on in there. The titanium plates in his face will likely always give him trouble in the cold. He didn't call Alaska State Troopers and wait for others to act. He quickly began to spin his rifle around his shoulders and made it about half way before the bear intercepted his defensive actions.