Bear attack survivor treated at University of Utah Hospital ready to win ‘round two’

Lions, tigers and bears are classic storybook fears.

But even after losing his lower jaw in a bear attack, Rudy Noorlander isn’t scared. In fact, he says he’s ready to get back out to the area of rural Montana where he was attacked — so he can win “round two.”

Noorlander was injured by a grizzly bear five weeks ago, on Sept. 8. As the owner and operator of Alpine Adventures in Big Sky, Montana, he was helping two of his customers track deer when he came across a small grizzly bear, according to a GoFundMe set up by his daughter, KateLynn Davis.

He was equipped with everything an experienced outdoorsman would need: bear spray, a firearm and other people around him. But before he could do anything to scare off the small bear, another bear — this one “10 foot tall and far more aggressive” — was on him, his daughter wrote in the GoFundMe piece.

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 grizzly left a large scratch down his right chest, bit his arms, legs, and to top it all off, gave him what Rudy describes as ‘the most disgusting french kiss of his life’ before biting down and tearing off his lower jaw,” according to the GoFundMe.

The other hunters with him were able to scare off the bears and call for a medical helicopter, but Noorlander was left lying on the ground fully conscious for two hours until he was picked up by the flight crew, Davis wrote. After he was initially treated in Bozeman, Montana, he was flown to the University of Utah Hospital, where he received three surgeries — including what medical professionals call a “jaw in a day” reconstruction.

“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.”

After the attack, his daughters KateLynn Davis and Ashley Noorlander traveled to Utah to support him during his treatment. The first morning he was at the university hospital’s ICU, Davis recalled that head and neck surgeon Dr. Hilary McCrary gave them the best possible news: that their father would be OK.

“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.”

McCrary has only been at the U.’s hospital in Salt Lake City for about two months. She hadn’t ever treated a patient injured in a bear attack, but her partner at the hospital — Dr. Richard Cannon — trained in Washington, where health care providers more commonly see patients flown in for animal attacks.

Noorlander’s injuries were similar to what McCrary has seen in head and neck cancer patients, she said, so the reconstruction process was familiar. The grizzly caused larynx fractures in Noorlander’s neck, so surgeons had to add structural support mechanisms inside his neck, and they also had to place an external fixator device that used pins to stabilize Noorlander’s jaw, since the front of his jaw was missing, McCrary said.

Doctors then created a new mandible for Noorlander’s jaw and added dental implants, and performed a lip reconstruction.

“Through this virtual surgical planning, we were able to customize everything,” McCrary said. “So that surgery went as flawlessly as it possibly could, and we had the best outcome.”

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.

McCrary said although his recovery will take time, Noorlander will return to a 100% normal life — which for him means a root-beer float as soon as possible, and some time with his Yorkie back home in Montana. He also hopes Yellowstone star Cole Hauser will play him in the movie about his experience, he wrote.

“Most of the important things In the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying, when there seemed to be no hope at all,” Noorlander wrote on his dry-erase board Friday. “Even if there seems to be no hope, keep on fighting.”