Carl Isom-McDaniel, a visitor to Yellowstone National Park, is speaking out about a harrowing bison attack that left him with a fractured femur.
Isom-McDaniel was at Bridge Bay Campground near Yellowstone Lake with his grandson on July 10 when a bison, which had previously charged a group of teenagers, targeted him. He recounted the moments leading up to the attack from his hospital room at Bozeman Health in Southwest Montana.
"They move faster than you could ever imagine," Isom-McDaniel said of bison. "He just kept coming, and he was more aggressive. As soon as he got off that tree, he launched me in the air."
The grandfather sustained a femur fracture in four places and underwent surgery. He emphasized that his primary concern during the incident was his grandson's safety.
"It was like, you need to get up to the amphitheater. I will deal with this down here," Isom-McDaniel recalled telling his grandson.
Photographer Mike MacLeod, who witnessed the attack, stated that he believes Isom-McDaniel saved his grandson by absorbing the brunt of the charge. MacLeod also stated that Isom-McDaniel never lost consciousness and his first question after the attack was about his grandson's well-being.
Reports indicate that neither Isom-McDaniel nor his grandson provoked the animal. The bull had already charged a group of teenagers before approaching Isom-McDaniel. MacLeod intervened along with other campers to haze the bison away and provide aid until the animal retreated.