Bear Attack Survivor Recovering

Tools

By Lindsey Scheetz

Story Published: Jul 29, 2010 at 11:09 PM MDT

Story Updated: Jul 30, 2010 at 11:11 AM MDT

CODY, WYOMING - One of the two survivors from Wednesday's bear attack is recovering in a Wyoming hospital.

Fifty-eight year old Deb Freele was on the last stretch of a month long trip with her husband in Montana when she was attacked. An avid outdoors woman, she said she never expected this to happen to her.

"I knew I was going to die that certainly was going through my head, this is it, I'm over," Freele recounted the incident.

The nightmare started around 2:30 Wednesday morning at a campground just one mile east of Cooke City. Freele said the power of the bear was unbelievable. "I couldn't believe the strength of this animal and like I could just feel everything crushing and I knew I didn't have a chance of fighting that and so I had one chance to and it was to play dead and hope she went away."

Asleep in her tent after a long day of fishing Freele never expected a bear would attack her in her sleep. "This was a very freakish thing one in a million chance; I had a better chance of winning the lottery than this happening."

Freele said she is lucky she survived the ordeal, but another man wasn't as fortunate. "I've been having a hard time dealing with that today, and I have a feeling that I met that individual when I was there."

Freele was one of two survivors, 21 year-old Ronald Singer was also attacked. Both survivors were taken here to West Park hospital in Cody Wyoming, nearly 80 miles away from where the bear attack took place.

Bleeding heavily, Freele said she used her shirt to create a tourniquet as she waited for help to arrive. "I just went into survival mode I thought I had to survive for my kids."

Waiting for what seemed like hours Freele said she was terrified no one would come. "I was calling out for a while I was getting pretty upset that I couldn't wake my husband up and I was getting scared."

Sleeping in a separate tent several hundred feet away, Freele's husband had no idea what was going on. She sustained several bites and a broken bone in her left arm. But looking back she said she is just happy to be alive. "I followed all the bear proof rules and did everything, I think I did everything right...I'm here so I did something right."

Freele will remain in the hospital for several more days. Although she has a long road to recovery ahead of her, she said this experience would not keep her from enjoying the outdoors.

You have indicated this comment should be removed.

Close

The comment has been submitted for review. Thank you .

scott said on Saturday, Aug 7 at 7:42 AM

I met deb yesterday at the hospital in ontario where she was having her dressings changed, small world eh? Get healthy soon Deb....

Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 1000 Characters Left

KULR-8 News, Sports, Weather and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the above comments or other interaction among the users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, remove or edit user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice, although we have no duty to do so or to monitor any Public Forum.

Your Weather Authority

Icon
Current Temp 82.0 °F
Thunderstorm
Wind : Southwest at
13.8 mph
Humidity : 16 %
Pressure : 29.75 in
More Weather

Party America Sky Cam

More Weather

On Demand

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.