• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Man who had face ripped off by bear dug mud out of his own airways to survive

Home> News

Published 17:58 24 Jan 2023 GMT

Man who had face ripped off by bear dug mud out of his own airways to survive

Wes Perkins was out on a hunting trip in the Alaskan mountains when he came across a huge eight-foot grizzly bear

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

A man who had half of his face ripped off by a bear says he had to dig mud out of his airway so he could breathe.

Wes Perkins was out on a hunting trip in the Alaskan mountains in May 2011 when he came across a huge eight-foot grizzly bear.

The animal burst out of a hole and charged the 65-year-old, tearing into him with its sharp claws.

He ended up losing his tongue, having his jaw smashed, and left gasping for air before the bear was eventually shot dead.

Advert

The former fire chief somehow managed to survive the savage attack, and was in hospital for four months recovering, where he underwent a number of operations.

Wes Perkisn was attacked by a bear while out hunting in 2011.
Donnie Rose/YouTube

Wes had to have titanium plates inserted in his cheeks and a titanium rib around his jawbone.

Speaking about the moment he came across the bear, Wes said he'd stopped, unaware that he was about '70ft away' from its hole. Moments later, it came at him 'full charge' and mauled him.

Wes said that he tried to get his gun out but the bear was on him too quickly and he ‘had no time to do anything’.

Advert

"I never lost consciousness," he told Donnie Rose. "I had to open my airways because I had a bunch of mud here – my face was all tore up – lost my teeth, my tongue, my jaw. And so I just stayed focused.

"I knew I could hear so I could talk to Ed and Dan who were with me."

After seeing his friend in distress, Dan began shooting at the bear, which then came for him.

His friend Dan helped save his life.
Donnie Rose/YouTube

Ed, Dan's son, then pulled out his gun and shot the bear, killing it.

Advert

"I probably saved Wes’ life and my son saved my life from the whole ordeal," Dan said.

When he went over to check on Wes, Dan said 'his whole face rolled right off'.

Ed radioed in the attack, telling Wes' brother: "There was a bear mauling. Wesley was all torn up."

Then, turning his attention back to his friend, Dan told Wes that he had to keep still to stop his face from moving.

"There was very little blood. Wesley was conscious," he said. "[I told him] Wesley you need to stay real still just keep your face in the snow."

Advert

Wes recalled that the snow helped "numb what was left [of his face]".

Wes' face was mauled by the bear's powerful claws.
Donnie Rose/YouTube

Wes said: "As I stayed there I knew I was getting hypothermic a little bit. When the helicopter arrived Perkins said he was able to walk to it with help.

"I was lucky enough and able to walk, with their help, into the helicopter."

Despite his ordeal, Wes says he's still an active outdoorsman, and continues to hunt bears and moose.

Advert

He said: '[I] do most everything I used to do but since I cannot close my mouth, I cannot swim and it's hard to run or jog, as my jaw bounces because I lost so much muscle in my jaw... but hell, those are small things in life. I do everything else."

Featured Image Credit: Donnie Rose/YouTube

Topics: US News, Animals, Health

Dominic Smithers
Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers is LADbible's Editorial Lead. After graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History, he went on to write for the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express. So as you can imagine, he’s spent many a night wondering just how useful that second language has been. But c'est la vie.

X

@SmithersDom

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

14 mins ago
an hour ago
13 hours ago
  • 14 mins ago

    Sobering conversation explains what happened in Air India flight cockpit moments before crash

    A preliminary investigation into the cause of the Air India Flight 171 crash is underway

    News
  • an hour ago

    Report into Air India crash explains what caused devastating crash killing 260

    Only one person on board survived the deadly crash last month

    News
  • 13 hours ago

    Everything we know about Texas floods that have killed at least 121 as Trump arrives at disaster site

    The President and the First Lady have headed to the state one week after the horror floods wreaked havoc

    News
  • 13 hours ago

    Scientists make surprising discovery at what lies under Antarctic ice sheet after its been covered in ice for 34 million years

    It could help scientists predict the future of the ice sheet

    News
  • Woman who had nose bitten off by dog 'scared of firework' decides to keep pet
  • Man who had world’s first successful face and double hand transplant spoke out about life-changing car crash
  • Student had gut-wrenching thought before tearing out own eyeballs while taking drugs
  • Man who chose to live underwater for 100 days to see what would happen to his body reveals shocking impact it had