Bear Attack Survivor Shoots Himself Then Stays Calm on Camera

Tyler Johnson, 32, found himself in a life-threatening situation while hiking off-trail on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. Alongside his father, Chris, the two startled a brown bear, resulting in a harrowing encounter that Johnson later recounted on camera.

“We startled her, or him…and it came charging at my dad,” Johnson explained. “He made some noise, and then it went straight to me.”

The bear attacked Johnson, throwing him to the ground and biting his leg. In the midst of the chaos, Johnson managed to grab his 10mm pistol and began “unloading like a motherf–ker” into the bear, accidentally shooting himself in the leg in the process.

“I did shoot myself when I was falling backwards…but it went straight through my leg,” he said, showing viewers a close-up of his wound, which was temporarily bandaged with a makeshift tourniquet.

As he and his father waited for emergency troopers to respond to their SOS call, Johnson remained remarkably calm. “It’s a beautiful day,” he noted, gazing at the nearly cloudless sky, seemingly unaffected by the severity of his injury.

Johnson later shared with CNN that adrenaline initially numbed the pain. When the shock wore off, he used breathing exercises and music to manage the mounting discomfort. He also kept himself distracted by recounting a previous dramatic hunting experience to his father.

“It’s those little things that try to help you through a hard moment. Realizing that you’re there with the only person you would want to be there with was really comforting,” Johnson told CNN.

Eventually, emergency responders evacuated Johnson to a hospital in Anchorage. Fortunately, he avoided surgery and only required bandages and IV antibiotics to prevent infection.

Johnson credited his father, an Alaska State Trooper experienced in bear encounters, with helping him avoid more severe injuries. When troopers later examined the scene, they discovered a cub nearby, which likely explained the bear’s aggressive behavior.

“It was a growl and then an immediate charge,” Johnson told CNN, describing the bear’s swift attack. “Every, every move a bear makes is intentional. They don’t just go halfway into an action. So when a bear stops, it’s probably because it’s dead, or it’s about to die,” he added.

This close call came just as Johnson was preparing to start a new job in Austin, Texas, where his wife and young son were already waiting for him. He is finishing his

Watch a local news report about the incident below:

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