For 90 Minutes After Bear Attack, 911 Dispatcher Was Her Lifeline

A 67-year-old Alaska retiree who survived a devastating bear attack in the backcountry this summer has been reunited with the Anchorage first responders who saved her. Victoria Lytle was hiking on the Anchorage Hillside in July when she heard what she thought was a dog barking—only to realize moments later that it was a brown bear. The bear charged and mauled her, inflicting serious injuries to her neck, arms, thigh, and head, according to Alaska Public Media. “The bear chewed on my head,” Lytle told KTUU. Despite her wounds, she managed to call 911 on her Apple Watch and spent roughly 90 minutes lying injured in the woods while dispatcher Julie Condell stayed on the line, keeping her calm as rescuers searched for her.

On Tuesday, Lytle spoke publicly for the first time about the attack during a gathering at an Anchorage fire station. She offered emotional thanks to the firefighters, medics, and dispatchers who helped her, several of whom had trekked miles into the Chugach Mountains with minimal gear and no idea whether the bear was still nearby. Anchorage Fire Department medics Sean McMillan and Stefan Isaly-Johns, who located and treated her, received the Firefighter Medal of Honor for their efforts.

Lytle’s injuries were severe—she required around 100 staples in her head alone—but she was discharged from the hospital after only a week. She says she’s experiencing little lasting psychological trauma, though one of her injured arms still gives her trouble, something she jokingly calls her “coffee-drinking problem,” per KTUU. After initially avoiding publicity because of hurtful online comments, she now says she has moved past the negativity and feels grateful for the community that came together to save her. “I’m actually very proud to live in this town,” she said.

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