Hiker eaten alive by grizzly bear was 'doomed' after relying just on his senses

Lance Crosby wanted to be at one with nature, choosing to rely on his senses rather than carry bear spray or his mobile phone, but that decision ended up being his tragic downfall

A hiker made a fatal mistake when he headed off into the woods for a walk.

Lance Crosby reportedly believed in relying only on his senses while out in the wilderness, refusing to carry bear spray or his mobile phone.

But that decision was to cost him his life after he was eaten alive by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park. The 260lb adult female bear feasted on the 63-year-old from Montana, along with as her cubs.

She then dragged Lance's body away, hiding it beneath pine needles, an act described as "unusual" for a mother protecting her young.

Lance of Billings had worked as a nurse in the park's medical clinics and was out hiking alone in the Lake Village area when tragedy struck.

He was found around half a mile from the nearest trail with wounds indicating that he'd tried to fight back.

Authorities captured the bear and carried out tests to see if it was behind the attack.

Once it was determined that it was, the animal was later euthanised and its cubs were transferred to a zoo.

The move prompted a backlash by people who objected to killing the grizzly when the hiker hadn't take precautions to avoid an attack by carrying bear spray or hiking with another person.

Bears involved in fatal attacks are not always killed, particularly when the attack is considered a defensive one in which the animal was protecting its young.

Park spokeswoman, Amy Bartlett said at the time: "Had this bear just had a defensive attack, we would probably be looking at a different outcome."

Lance was the sixth person killed by grizzlies in a five year period in and around Yellowstone. There are an estimated 750 bears in the park and nearby areas of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

After the harrowing story from 2015 was recently retold on YouTube, many viewers rushed to have their say.

One wrote: "No bear spray and no phone? What could possibly go wrong?"

Another added: "Lance's hypothesis failed very miserably."

While one said: "One positive thing to take away from this one, at least the bear had mercy to kill him fast. Every time you walk in the wilderness alone you're taking a risk. If going off the beaten trail, make sure you're packing more than just a bag."

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