The tourist who was attacked by a bison at Yellowstone National Park finally spoke out about the incident from his Bozeman Health hospital bed Monday.
Carl Isom-McDaniel, 65, was visiting the famous park with his grandson when a bison charged him and sent him flying more than eight feet into the air. In an interview with CBS News, Isom-McDaniel recalled the viral attack caught on camera while recovering from his surgery on his broken femur.
“We saw the bison, and he was down. He wasn’t showing aggression or anything like that until it picked a target,” Isom-McDaniel told CBS in an interview. “That target happened to be me.”
Isom-McDaniel’s grandson was seen throughout the beginning of the video, but managed to escape when the animal got close enough to attack. He explained how he was able to protect his grandson and take the brunt of the damage.
“At the time, I had my grandson with me,” he stated. “It was like, you need to get up to the amphitheater. I will deal with this down here.”
Mike MacLeod, the veteran photographer who captured the video of the attack, told Fox News that Isom-McDaniel remained in high spirits moments after flying through the air, even cracked a joke, and made sure his grandson was safe. Despite his initial reaction when the bison finally left him alone, the tourist feared for his life.
“They move faster than you could ever imagine. He just kept coming and he was more aggressive,” he said. “As soon as he got off that tree, he launched me into the air.”
“Even though I was on the ground he could have stomped me, he could have gored me, he could have done anything,” Isom-McDaniel added.
He is expected to make a full recovery at the Montana hospital after surgery repaired his femur that broke in four separate parts.
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