‘God was watching over’ brave Canadian mom who survived grizzly bear attack

The Canadian woman who survived a grizzly bear attack June 30 says it was divine intervention that saved her life.

The gruesome attack left Vanessa Chaput, a 24-year-old mother of one from Yukon, Canada, hospitalized for 10 days with a broken arm and over 30 stitches to her back, head, neck and ear.

As to why she was attacked, Chaput told Today.com she was just “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

It was about 10:30 p.m. and she was out jogging a trail with Luna, her German Shepherd. The sun had just set, but it was still light enough for her to realize she was in danger as soon as she turned a corner to find herself surrounded by grizzlies.

“I spotted the male that would attack me first … and two smaller bears about 10 feet away from me,” she recalled. “There was also a fourth, smaller bear right behind me, which I didn’t see.” 

As she backed away slowly, Luna broke loose from her grip and took off full speed chasing after the two smaller bears. 

That’s when the big male charged and attacked. 

“I picked a tree to get behind, but the bear took me down … it took my head in its mouth and I ended up on the ground. You feel like a rag doll and there’s nothing you can do. I remember being thrown around.” 

Chaput says she never screamed or felt any pain throughout the ordeal. She says she went in “survival mode.” 

“My adrenaline was going … there was an insane amount of pressure. I have a pretty (high) pain tolerance. 

“I’m not ready to leave my daughter and my husband,” she thought as she was fighting for her life. 

Finally, after five terrifying minutes, the grizzly relented, or so she’d hoped as it began to walk away. She quietly crouched down behind a tree, making herself as small as possible, but the bear turned and charged again. 

“He charged across the path … and turned around and came back at me. I didn’t think I could handle another round.” 

Just before it reached her, a loud noise startled the bear and it ran off, this time for good. The noise, Chaput says, was Luna, her faithful companion barking in the distance. 

“Her barking saved my life.” 

She’s not sure where the fourth bear went or why it never attacked, but thinks it may have also been scared off by Luna’s barking. 

The Yukon Conservation office agreed, saying that while the dog had likely triggered “a defensive reaction” from the bear, it likely also saved Chaput from a much worse outcome: 

“The bear attacked the individual resulting in significant injuries requiring medical attention. It is believed the dog also caused the bear to break off the attack providing the individual opportunity to retreat and call for help.” 

Chaput says she’s not quite ready to go jogging again. And, while she’s still working through the emotions of that day, she considers herself blessed to be alive. 

“I am very shocked at how lucky I am. I’m extremely thankful that God was watching over me that day.”