Article content

Organs exposed, Colin Dowler managed to cycle seven kilometres for help after a harrowing grizzly bear attack in the remote backcountry north of Powell River.

The Campbell River man was exploring hiking routes on Mt. Doogie Dowler, named after his grandfather, on Monday, a day before his 45th birthday.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or 'I was thinking I wasn’t going to make it': Survivor of grizzly bear attack near Powell River tells his tale Back to video

He was biking down when he came across a large bear about 30 metres away, lumbering up the road. Comfortable in the outdoors, but more a fisherman than a hiker, Dowler stopped, unsure of what to do.

He banged a hiking pole on his bike to try to scare the bear away, then used it to gently poke it on the head. He even tried negotiating with the bear, saying, “we don’t have to have a problem here. Everything’s OK.”

But the bear was relentless. It pushed Dowler’s bike and ignored his backpack, which Dowler had thrown on the ground. When the 350-pound adult male bear came for him, it wasn’t in wild, sudden lunges, but with “methodical” and “powerful swats.” It swiped at his abdomen, exposing internal organs. It then dragged Dowler to a ditch about 15 m away, then started tearing and gnawing on his legs and feet.