21 July 2023 , 10:05
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A peaceful morning at Yellowstone turned into a nightmare for one woman when a bison attacked her near Lake Yellowstone, leaving her with seven spinal fractures, bilateral collapsed lungs, and extensive bruising.
Amber Harris, 47, was attacked last week when having morning coffee with her partner and daughter.
They spotted a pair of bison approximately 50 yards away. Suddenly, one of the bison began dropping and rolling in the dirt before charging directly at the group.
Despite the terrifying ordeal, a silver lining emerged, as Amber and her boyfriend, Chris Whitehill, got engaged in the hospital while they recovered.
Chris said: "We just kept moving away, moving away.I told Amber, 'Do not run.'"
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The bison goring incident was the first reported one at Yellowstone National Park that year and the first since June 2022. (AP)However, the bison closed in with astounding speed “He struck her head-on and she was airborne,” Chris told NBC affiliate KPNX of Phoenix. “I think she did one or two backflips in the air, and I was screaming and yelling trying to distract him. She landed pretty hard on her back.”
The severity of Harris's injuries prompted an immediate emergency response. The National Park Service quickly dispatched a helicopter to transport her to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, where she received medical attention for her critical injuries.
According to park officials, this was the first reported instance of a bison goring at Yellowstone this year and the first since June 2022.
The incident occurred at Yellowstone National Park when a bison charged at Amber Harris while she was enjoying a morning coffee with her boyfriend, Chris Whitehill, and her daughter, Rylee Eckbad. (NBC News)Fortunately, Harris's vital organs remained unharmed, as she expressed her gratitude in a Facebook post: “Glory to God all my vital organs look good.” However she suffered seven spinal fractures, bilateral collapsed lungs and “bruising all over.”
And then her partner Chris seized the opportunity to propose to her in the hospital, despite their disrupted plans.
Despite the terrifying ordeal, a positive outcome emerged, as Chris Whitehill proposed to Amber Harris in the hospital, (NBC News)“Chris had planned a beautiful marriage proposal this week on a natural bridge but all three of us have been in the hospital since yesterday morning and I won’t be able to leave any time soon,” Harris wrote on Facebook.
“So my love got down on one knee beside my hospital bed last night and formally asked me to be his wife. Without any hesitation I said yes!”
While Harris's bison attack was a rare occurrence, it followed another incident at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, where another woman was gored by a bison just last weekend.
To prevent further incidents, the National Park Service is urging tourists to maintain a safe distance from wildlife, especially during the summer mating season, which extends until the middle of August.