WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT – Jeremy Evans was mauled by a grizzly bear during a holiday in the Rockies in Alberta, Canada, and suffered injuries so severe he contemplated taking his own life
A dad contemplated taking his own life after he was attacked by a grizzly bear on holiday.
But Jeremy Evans, 39, found the strength to keep going after the song Baby Shark played on his mobile phone. It made Jeremy think of his family as Baby Shark is the bedtime tune he played for his daughter.
Jeremy was airlifted to hospital where he underwent two surgeries – each lasting up to 13 hours – to try and save his face. In total, he had five major surgeries and another 15 minor procedures, spending five weeks in hospital. He required 1,000 sutures and 1,000 staples.
The married father of one sustained the injuries after the bear tore off the left side of his face in “one swoop” and chewed on his head “like a dog gnawing on a bone” amid the horror in the Rockies in Alberta, Canada.
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Despite the severe injuries, Jeremy tried to stumble to safety – but fell 200ft downhill into the bottom of a rocky creek. In agony, he pulled out his phone to say goodbye to his family – and to play some music as he died. He pressed shuffle, and the song that came on saved his life.
Recalling the trauma, Jeremy said: “My left eye was hanging out of the socket. It was facing down. In order to really see, I either had to lift up my eye or lean my head way back… I remember feeling my face and nothing felt the same. My jaw was hanging down on the left side and all my teeth were exposed.” Jeremy’s face had been so badly shredded he was left picking up pieces of flesh from the ground.
The attack happened as Jeremy watched some sheep on grassland. Suddenly, a 350Ib grizzly bear charged at the tourist. Jeremy continued: “She pulled her paw across my face from the bottom left hand corner, all the way towards the right side and removed my whole face in one swoop, my nose, my right ear, everything. She started chewing on the left back corner of my head like a dog gnawing on a bone. And then she just started ripping and tearing everything off.”
The dad this week spoke to the Daily Mail about his experience. He has written a book called Mauled – documenting his survival – which is on sale soon. The father also travels the world as a motivational speaker, detailing his journey with PTSD diagnosed since the ordeal which happened in 2018.
Jeremy now hopes to raise $5million (£3.7million) to go towards research into PTSD. He said his PTSD is triggered by sounds of ice cracking and the smell of blood.
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