Rudy Noorlander, a 61-year-old Navy veteran who tragically lost a part of his jaw to a grizzly bear attack in Montana, remarkably remains in high spirits as he prepares to bid farewell to his five-week hospital stay. With delightful anticipation, he muses over the indulgent joy of his soon-to-be-enjoyed root beer float, revealed through a heartfelt letter of gratitude shared by his daughter, KateLynn Noorlander-Davis, at a public conference hosted at University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City.
The incident occurred in the idyllic expanses of Custer Gallatin National Forest near Big Sky, Montana, on an ordinary September day. After three surgeries and an entire jaw reconstruction, Noorlander, accompanied by his ever-supportive daughters and medical team, is eager to return to his beloved family and his loyal canine companion, Sully, in Montana. With hope in their hearts, his family anticipates his homecoming.
Expressing his longing for freedom from medical paraphernalia, Noorlander playfully describes himself as a prospective “free-range chicken”. Still on the path to recovery, he communicates via a whiteboard, with speaking causing him some discomfort. Despite the hurdles on his path to normalcy, physicians regard his recovery as promising.
Noorlander’s rendezvous with the bear occurred when he was aiding hunters to locate a deer they supposedly had killed. After two decades of treading the trail where the incident happened, the surprise was all the greater. Faced with an adult grizzly bear, Noorlander managed to pull out a gun, only to be astounded by a larger bear. Unfortunately, he was unable to fend off the bear, which bit off his jaw. The hunters he was assisting managed to drive the bear away and call for help.
This wasn’t Noorlander’s only bear encounter; an earlier one dates back to his childhood when he was merely 10. He maintains a sense of humor about his experiences, promising a triumphant round two if ever there were one, much to his daughter’s lighthearted chagrin.
Indeed, Noorlander’s indomitable spirit is the driving force behind his recovery. It draws from his family’s undying support, their admiration for him being the “bravest and strongest man”. They keep his spirits high, even as he races people down the hospital corridors. As for the attack, Noorlander plans to save that for a book he intends to write, expressing a wish for Cole Hauser, famed actor from the series ‘Yellowstone’, to portray him in a potential movie adaptation.
Racing towards recovery, with plans to hit the snowmobile trails by December, Noorlander’s determination is a testament to his resilience and the joyous relief it brings his family. As his daughter Ashley poignantly notes, “We’re just super happy he’s alive and here.”
