Dad Calls His Son, 12, a 'Hero' After Boy Saves Him from Bear Attack: 'He Really Held It Together'
Ryan Beierman said that his son, Owen, killed the bear with a rifle during a hunting trip
A hunter called his son a hero after the boy saved his life during a black bear attack in Wisconsin.
The incident occurred in Burnett County during a hunting trip on Sept. 6, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirmed to CBS affiliate WCCO and Minnesota Star Tribune.
Ryan Beierman, 43, of River Falls, told the Star Tribune that he and his son, Owen, 12, went hunting near Siren. They were in a tree stand above a bait station when Owen spotted a black bear.
As the bear started to approach, Owen fired on it with his rifle, injuring but not killing the animal, which then ran away. About 20 minutes later, father and son began a search for the wounded bear.
Not seeing a trail of blood near the bait station, the two employed a neighbor’s tracking dog to help in the search, Beierman recalled, per the Star Tribune.
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“We were sort of hung up in a thicket when we heard the dog yelp and sprint past us in retreat,” the father recounted. “Just then, I stepped into a semi-clearing. I said, ‘There he is, Owen.’’ '
Beierman added that he was reaching for his sidearm to issue a warning shot to scare the bear, which was about five to six feet away from them. However, the bear charged at the father, who fired his gun eight times but missed. Suddenly, he found himself lying on his back and fighting the bear.
“He was in a stance like a cat about to pounce,’’ Beierman told the Star Tribune. “The next thing I know he was on me. He charged and knocked me down.’’
Related: 32-Year-Old Man Survives After Being Attacked by Bear, Then Shot by Hunter Who Tried to Stop Attack
“I looked down and I see teeth and claws coming at my face,” Beierman later told NBC affiliate KARE.
According to WCCO, the father attempted to pistol-whip the animal, which reportedly weighed about 200 pounds. Then, as he later recalled to the Star Tribune, Beierman saw a flash from the muzzle of Owen’s rifle.
“I was flat on my back and could feel the bullet going through the bear,’’ the father said, per the newspaper. “Owen was a hero. He shot that bear and killed it on top of me.’’
“I didn’t think twice. I just shot it,” Owen said, per KARE, while his father added, “He performed under pressure that a lot of people wouldn’t perform.”
Beierman praised his son for his heroic efforts. “I was proud of Owen,” he said, per the Star Tribune. “He really held it together. But after it was all over, you could tell he was pretty shaken.”
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Beierman was transported to the hospital following the attack. He suffered a sliced left cheek that required 23 stitches, fang marks on his forehead and puncture wounds on his right arm and leg.
The Wisconsin DNR said that Owen had a bear hunting permit, per WCCO. The department also confirmed to the Star Tribune that the hunt was legal.
PEOPLE reached out to Beierman on Wednesday, Sept. 18, for comment.
The DNR told Wisconsin Public Radio in 2022 that bear attacks in Wisconsin were rare. At the time, there were nine reported cases of injuries inflicted on people by bears since 2013.
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