Montana Man Mauled by Grizzly Bear Dies After Suffering Massive Stroke
A Montana man who was mauled by a grizzly bear last week has died after suffering a "massive stroke" in hospital.
Carl Mock, 40, of West Yellowstone, was transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center on April 15 with "severe injuries" after being attacked by the bear just south of Baker's Hole Campground, roughly three miles north of West Yellowstone.
News of his death was confirmed via an update to a GoFundMe page set up last week to raise money for his ongoing medical treatment.
The campaign, launched after the attack by West Yellowstone resident Keith Johnson, initially said Mock required multiple surgeries and would likely face a "long recovery," however the update, posted on April 17, said he had since passed away.
The GoFundMe post read: "We would like to let you know that early this morning Carl suffered a massive stroke and sadly, he didn't make it through. This comes as a terrible shock and is heartbreaking to everyone, since both the surgeries went so well."
As of April 19, the fund had raised more than $24,000 of a $30,000 goal from 297 donors. The money would be given to the family to cover medical bills and funeral costs, Johnson wrote in the update. He added: "We appreciate the continued support from this community to help ease these financial burdens for Carl's family."
The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) previously confirmed in a statement that a grizzly bear was shot and killed on Friday last week—the day after the attack—as personnel investigated the scene of the incident, which was closed to the public.
The agency said Mock was believed to have been carrying bear spray at the time of the attack but it was unclear if he even got a chance to use it on the bear.
The FWP said seven investigators who were deployed to the scene were charged by a bear before reaching the area, despite making "continuous noise," including yelling, in an attempt to "haze" the animal—the process of trying to scare off the animal.
"Despite multiple attempts by all seven people to haze away the bear, it continued its charge. Due to this immediate safety risk, the bear was shot and died about 20 yards from the group. The bear was an older-age male grizzly," the FWP said.
Investigators found a moose carcass within 50 yards of the attack, which indicated the bear was likely defending a food source during the attack, the agency noted.
The GoFundMe campaign page described the victim as being a "hard-working guy with an infectious smile" and a "passion for outdoors, hiking, fishing [and] photography."
