A San Diego man is recovering after surviving a grizzly bear attack while hiking in Montana’s Glacier National Park, an encounter he says he was fortunate to escape with his life.

Daniel Crago, an avid outdoorsman, was hiking along the Grinnell Glacier Trail on May 28 during what was supposed to be the final day of a weeklong vacation filled with outdoor adventures.

“My love for nature kind of started when I was young,” Crago said.

After more than 20 miles of hiking throughout the week, Crago was nearing the end of his trip with his friend when he encountered a bear cub near the trail.

“Something catches my attention off to the left. I look over and it was a smaller cub,” he recalled.

Moments later, he spotted a larger grizzly bear nearby.

“No more than 15 feet above on the hill and on the same snow patch was a larger grizzly bear,” Crago said.

Recognizing the danger, he tried to follow the standard guidance for bear encounters.

“Panic set in but I tried to stay calm and do as you’re told and taught to do when you see a bear, just alert the bear, let them know you’re there so you don’t frighten them,” he said.

The situation escalated almost immediately.

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