Mountaineering and hiking are among the most challenging human endeavors, and sometimes unforeseen events, as in the case of a family in Utah, can become a battle for survival. A similar incident took place in Montana, where a hiker was attacked by a bear on the trail. Before committing to the wild, he sent a voice message to his father, which became his last communication to his family.
As reported by The Sun, a hiker named Anthony Polio was found dead just 50 meters off a mountain by the National Park Service. His body was badly mauled, and the marks on his body suggested that he might have encountered a bear on the way. The National Park Service has been searching for him since last Monday, after his family reported that they had not heard from him. The poor hiker’s belongings were later found in a dense green spot.
The National Park Service released a statement about this tragedy, saying, “The sequence of events leading to the bear encounter remains under investigation. However, evidence suggests that this was a surprise encounter.” The victim’s father, in an interview, told about the hiker’s last voice note, stating, “He said, ‘Dad, I’m hiking up a mountain. It’s wild out here.’ He said, ‘I love you, Dad,’ and that was the last message I received from him.”
Hiker’s father is adamant that his son sent that message while being chased by the bear
Hiker’s last message has raised concerns for his father. Arthur believes that when he sent this message, he was being chased by the bear, but he did not want to make his father anxious, so he did not say why he sent it so quickly. His father alleged that his son’s voice was out of order and that he was running out of breath, seemingly trying to run away from something.
In his statement to WLPG Local 10, Arthur stated, “He’s an educated man, and the bear just attacked him and killed him. I believe he was probably accosted by the bear. Used the bear spray. He might have run from there. I think the bear may have chased him down, grabbed him by the shoulder.” The sad dad, who also sounded proud, said, “Anthony was a fearless man. His life experiences in 33 years, some people don’t get to do until they’re 90 or their whole life.”
Anthony was actually a highly educated man of adventure. He was from Serbring, Florida, and graduated from the University of Central Florida, where he studied hospitality management. He worked at McKibben Powersports as a service advisor. As reported by his family, he lived life to the full and did adventures throughout his life, but this unfortunate incident ended up taking his life.
Similar to a dog killing a teenage girl, this is another tragedy caused by an animal. The National Park Service issued a statement on the matter saying, “The section of trail where the incident occurred has been temporarily closed while the investigation continues. Park staff is working to determine next steps based on field assessments and wildlife behavior monitoring.” Authorities are implementing safety measures to prevent any further unfortunate events like this.
Published: May 12, 2026 01:30 pm