Woman Shares How A $3 Hair Clip Helped Save Her Life During A Grizzly Bear Attack

A woman from Canada, Vanessa Chaput, says a simple hair clip may have played a role in saving her life when she was attacked by a grizzly bear last month.

The terrifying event happened on the evening of Monday, June 30, while Vanessa was out on the paved Trans Canada Trail. Yukon Conservation Officer Services later confirmed the location of the incident.

At just 24 years old, Vanessa had been jogging with her Alsatian dog, Luna. As they turned a corner, they suddenly came face to face with three grizzly bears and another one was believed to be nearby, just out of sight.

Her dog Luna bravely chased away two of the smaller bears, but that still left Vanessa vulnerable. A large male bear remained, and it eventually attacked her while she was trying to shield herself behind a tree.

Incredibly, Vanessa’s head ended up inside the bear’s mouth. But during the attack, a plastic hair clip—one that costs just $7.48 (or £5.52) from Walmart—played an unexpected role in scaring the bear off.

In her conversation with TODAY, Vanessa shared that she believed the whole thing came down to awful timing. She said it was just one of those cases of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Vanessa revisited the attack site for a televised interview CTV News

"The bear took me down, it took my head in its mouth and I ended up on the ground. You feel like a rag doll and there's nothing you can do. I remember being thrown around." she explained during the interview.

She also opened up to Inside Edition, adding that as the bear bit down, the clip inside her hair shattered. She recalled how "the spring part just kind of exploded in his mouth,” which may have startled the animal.

At the same time, her dog Luna was barking loudly nearby. That combination of noise and surprise sent the grizzly running off. After that, Vanessa managed to make her way to the highway, where she was able to call 911 for help.

Vanessa suffered a number of serious injuries from the attack. Her spine, thighs, and arms were all affected, and she experienced nerve damage as well. She was hospitalized for 10 days and had to get more than 30 stitches.

"I am very shocked at how lucky I am." she told TODAY. "I'm extremely thankful that God was watching over me that day."

"I don't blame the bears for what happened and I don't blame my dog or myself. It was wrong time wrong place and it could happen to anybody." she shared in a conversation with CTV News.

A massive male grizzly left puncture wounds and nerve damage on its victim Getty Stock Image

In a public statement shared on Facebook, the Yukon Conservation Officer Services wrote: "A conservation officer responded immediately to the initial report and upon arriving onsite euthanized a bear that was present at the exact location of the attack."

"The officer received follow-up information that multiple bears were involved. In the interest of public safety, the nearby campground was evacuated and closed. Three additional bears matching the description were located in the area and two were euthanized."

"Efforts are still being made to recover the fourth bear. Officers are monitoring the area and using a variety of tools, including helicopters and drones, to continue their search of the remaining animal. Full necropsies are being conducted on the bears involved in this event. The group is a mixed composition of ages and sexes."

Back in 2011, a horrifying story from Russia made headlines when a woman named Tatiana Moskalyova was forced to listen as her daughter Olga was attacked by bears during three desperate phone calls.

In the first call, Olga screamed to her mother: “Mum, the bear is eating me! Mum, it's such agony. Mum, help!”

At first, Tatiana thought Olga was making a terrible joke. But soon, the horrific reality set in as she began hearing sounds that were unmistakably those of a bear chewing.

"I heard the real horror and pain in Olga's voice, and the sounds of a bear growling and chewing. I could have died then and there from shock." she added, remembering the unbearable moment.