Rudy Noorlander underwent three procedures to reconstruct his jaw after it was torn off by a bear near Big Sky, Montana.
Noorlander’s gun then misfired, and he was forced to defend himself with only his fists, since his bear spray was by then out of reach. “The things that give me hope and have given me motivation to get through this are my family,” Noorlander wrote on a dry-erase board during a press conference Friday, since he’s not yet able to speak without pain. “My job proves that most people are good, and I can’t wait to get back to it. I will win round two.”
“That was just such a huge relief, because we were like, ‘He’s missing his jaw. How in the world is he gonna be OK after this?’” Davis said. “But through the amazing, amazing work that they do, he’s going to be able to live his life like normal here in a bit.” Rudy Noorlander writes down an answer during a news conference at University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City, Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, after suffering a bear attack in September in Montana and undergoing surgery and treatment for the past five weeks.
That surgery was on Sept. 28, so Noorlander is now 15 days out of surgery. He’s hoping to return to Montana in the next few days, but will come back to the U.’s hospital for a few minor procedures as he recovers.