Jeremy Evans ventured into the Alberta woods in 2017 hoping to hunt a Bighorn Ram. Instead, he came face-to-face with a charging grizzly bear that left him fighting for his life.

Hidden behind trees, Evans spotted the ram through his binoculars. But before he could act, he noticed a massive brown figure running toward him. Within seconds, a mother grizzly was just feet away. “Her paw was stretched out, claws showing, eyes wide. She was on a full charge,” he recalled.

Evans tried to defend himself, throwing his bike at the bear and scrambling up a tree. But the animal caught his leg and dragged him down, mauling him viciously. “My left eye was hanging out of the socket. My jaw was hanging down. Nothing felt the same,” he said.

When the bear finally left, Evans realized the extent of his injuries. Stumbling around, he picked up pieces of his own flesh from the ground, including part of his scalp. Believing he would die, he even tried to end his life, but his gun misfired.

Instead, he reached for his phone and typed farewell messages to his wife. “Whoever finds this please let my wife know I tried to make it,” one read. Another said, “I am pretty sure this is the end. I feel like I am going to pass out.”

Despite his despair, Evans found the strength to keep going. He made it to his car and drove 22 kilometers before reaching help.

Rushed to the hospital, he endured five weeks of recovery, including five major surgeries and 15 smaller procedures. Doctors managed to save his life, though he still lives with lasting injuries.

Jeremy’s survival remains a testament to resilience and sheer willpower in the face of unimaginable odds.