Yellowstone visitor says bison hurled him 8 feet during park attack
Carl Isom-McDaniel is recovering in Montana after a bison charged while he was walking with his grandson at Yellowstone.
By Frankie Delgado · News Reporter
3 min read
A 65-year-old Yellowstone National Park visitor says a bison threw him about 8 feet into the air during a charge that left him with a badly broken femur.
Carl Isom-McDaniel spoke to CBS News from his hospital bed after the attack earlier this month, describing a sudden encounter while he and his grandson were walking after dinner.
Isom-McDaniel said the bison had been down and had not appeared aggressive before it moved toward them. He said the animal then “picked a target,” and that target was him.
“Even though I was on the ground, he could have stomped me. He could have gored me. He could have done anything,” Isom-McDaniel told CBS News.
Video showed the bison charging from a distance
Video of the incident showed Isom-McDaniel standing with his grandson about 100 yards from the bison before it charged, according to CBS News.
Isom-McDaniel said the animal kept coming and became more aggressive before launching him into the air. He is recovering after surgery at Bozeman Health in Montana.
His doctor told CBS News that Isom-McDaniel’s femur was broken “in multiple pieces.”
Mike MacLeod, who filmed the attack, said he and other people moved in to drive the bison away from Isom-McDaniel after the impact.
MacLeod told CBS News he ran toward the animal while yelling and lifting his camera, and that other men joined him. He said the group succeeded in pushing the bison away from the injured man.
MacLeod said he did not believe Isom-McDaniel or his grandson had acted improperly before the charge. “They did everything right,” he told CBS News.
Park officials warn bison can be unpredictable
The National Park Service says bison are wild animals and can act unpredictably. The agency advises visitors to stay at least 100 feet from bison, which is about 33 yards.
If visitors find themselves within that distance, the National Park Service recommends viewing the animals from inside a vehicle.
Park officials say bison may defend their space if they feel threatened. MacLeod told CBS News the risk is part of visiting a place where wildlife remains wild.
“The bottom line is people come to the national park because it's wild and risky and that's part of the downside is that there's a risk,” MacLeod said.
The attack involving Isom-McDaniel is the second documented bison attack at Yellowstone this year, according to CBS News. In June, a 12-year-old visitor was injured by a bison at the park.
Yellowstone’s bison are among the park’s most recognizable animals, but the National Park Service has repeatedly warned visitors to give them space. The latest attack underscores that distance can matter even when an animal appears calm moments before it moves.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.