A Catholic deacon’s final hike turned into a nightmare when a grizzly bear launched a vicious attack that sent him tumbling nearly 100 feet down a mountainside—and then came back for more.
Anthony Pollio, 33, was hiking alone on Glacier National Park’s Mt. Brown Lookout trail on May 3 when he stumbled upon an adult male grizzly in the dark, according to a newly released interagency report into the rare deadly encounter.
The report, dated July 20, says the two simply couldn’t see each other until it was too late. “Darkness and deadfall on the trail would have prevented the bear and Mr. Pollio from seeing each other until they were very close,” investigators wrote, describing the protective bear’s response as “intense.”
Pollio, a Florida native from Davie, managed to empty his entire can of bear spray—but the bear didn’t back off. As the attack continued, he plunged 93 feet down the slope, “probably while the bear continued its attack,” the report states.
Somehow, Pollio clawed his way 18 feet back up the hillside when the bear briefly stopped. But then, according to the report, the grizzly “reengaged and killed Mr. Pollio.”
The bear is described as a lifelong park resident with no prior history of attacking people. Investigators stress that hikers should follow basic safety rules: stay alert, avoid hiking alone, carry bear spray, and make noise to avoid surprising wildlife.
Pollio’s body was discovered May 6, about 2.5 miles up the trail in dense woods. His family believes he was heading to a fire lookout tower to watch the sunset.
His father, Arthur, told the Sun Sentinel that his “fearless” son left a voicemail before the hike, sounding out of breath and ending with “Love you.” Arthur described Anthony as an experienced hunter, a self-described “motorhead,” and a devoted preacher at his local Catholic church back in Florida.
In just 33 years, Pollio had hiked the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Starved Rock, and Mount Rushmore. “His life experiences—some people don’t get to do ’til they’re 90,” his father said.
This marks the first bear attack in Glacier National Park since August 2025, and the first fatal one since 1998.
What would you do if you came face-to-face with a grizzly in the dark?
