Man punches grizzly bear to escape vicious attack in B.C.

[Glacier]

...B.C. as in Bella Coola.

A 50-year-old man is in hospital after fighting off a grizzly bear with his bare hands near Bella Coola, B.C. Friday.

Jerry Lacerte was walking to a friend’s house near Thorsen Creek at around 8 a.m. when he was attacked by a grizzly bear that was with her two cubs.

“I saw three bears and the mother bear just started attacking me,” Lacerte said.

Lacerte started fighting for his life as the bear lashed out at him, cutting his face and arms.

“I punched her right square in the nose,” he said. “I gave it all I had to get away.”

Thankfully, Lacerte’s final blow was enough to scare off the grizzly and stop the attack.

Lacerte played dead before flagging down a driver in a passing vehicle who drove him straight to the hospital.

He was treated for severe cuts to his face and arms and is expected to be released Saturday.

P.S. if you ever find yourself up Thorsen Creek, there are some sweet petroglyphs there. http://www.flickr.com/photos/tourism_bc/3527450934/

[JLives]

He will be telling that story for years. "Oh yeah, well I punched a grizzly bear in the face."

[underscore]

Unfortunately for him, nobody will ever believe where he got the scars from.

[zzontar]

Maybe it was the smell of his poo that drove the bear away. I guess we'll never know, but talk about having a grizzly tale to tell!