In May 2024, army reservist Shayne Patrick Burke was enjoying his honeymoon. He and his wife, Chloe, visited national parks, with Shayne ready to snap his camera and capture a Great Grey Owl. 

Two years earlier, doctors removed a non-cancerous brain tumor about the size of a golfball, and Shayne was eager to get back to doing things he enjoyed, like rock climbing and wildlife photography. 

On a solo hike in Grand Teton National Park, Shayne couldn’t shake an “eerie feeling.”

“I didn't really quite feel alone,” he says. “I felt like something bad was gonna happen.”

Shayne spotted a bear cub, and merely seconds later, “the mom was jumping on me,” he says. “I just told myself I was probably gonna die.”

Miraculously Shayne survived. Listen as he reveals what was going through his mind during the attack, his rescue, and his emotional and physical recovery journey. Don’t miss this gripping story of survival, love, and resiliency of the human spirit. 

In this episode:

2:29 The honeymoon adventure: Searching for the Great Gray Owl

3:11 Shayne’s solo hike: “I did start to get a real eerie feeling”

4:37 The bear attack: A fight for survival

9:33 Rescue and recovery: “I just blew my whistle. S-O-S, S-O-S constantly.”

13:10 Reflections and gratitude: Life after the attack

14:44 Final thoughts: advice and appreciation