Rudy Noorlander debuts new jaw after surviving Montana grizzly attack

The Navy veteran whose jaw was ripped off by a grizzly bear last month is already prepared to return to the Montana backcountry where he faced off against the beast — so he can win “round two.”

Survivor Rudy Noorlander, 61, is headed back home after undergoing a complete jaw reconstruction, an arduous feat that was accomplished with three major surgeries during his five-week stay at the University of Utah Health.

“That first root beer float is going to be amazing,” Rudy wrote on a whiteboard at a Friday press conference.

“Soon I’m going to be a free-range chicken and won’t be hooked up to anything.” 

He was flown into the Salt Lake City Hospital after his initial emergency surgery to overcome the devastating injuries.

Noorlander came face-to-face with the bear while hunting for deer inside the Custer Gallatin National Forest, just outside Big Sky on Sept. 8.

The animal left scratches on Noorlander’s chest, as well as bites on his arms and legs, though the most traumatic injury was what Noorlander described as “the most disgusting French kiss of his life” that left him without his lower jaw.

Dr. Hilary McCrary, a surgeon and head and neck specialist, was able to reconstruct Noorlander’s jaw by using a portion of his fibula bone.  

His recovery has been slow — Noorlander is still unable to eat solid foods and finds it too painful to speak, so he has been relying on his daughters and his handy dry-erase board to communicate until he is able to use his new jaw.

The limited ability to use his new mouth has left him fearful that will choke on his own blood and spit, his daughter said.

His positive outlook on life, however, has not faltered despite surviving a terrifying near-death experience and distressing medical journey.

“The things that give me hope and have given me motivation to get through this are my family,” Noorlander wrote on a dry-erase board.

“My job proves that most people are good, and I can’t wait to get back to it. I will win round two.”

His daughter KateLynn quickly rejected the idea: “I would like for him to not do that … The fact that we’ve healed enough to get to today, is pretty remarkable.”

Noorlander told a crowd of reporters he hopes to get back into the Montana backcountry as soon as December — and that he’s not afraid of encountering any grizzlies.

The experienced outdoorsmen had been adequately prepared in the moments before the attack, carrying bear spray and a gun, but it wasn’t enough to ward off the 10-foot bear.

He tried to scare off the beast with the weapon, but misfired and was forced to use his hands.

The hunters he was with managed to scare off the bears and quickly called for a helicopter rescue, but was made to wait fully conscious for two hours before help arrived.

“The first thing that was incredible to watch was how positive Rudy was. Even after being attacked by a grizzly bear, he was very adamant that he was going to get through it… That was very heartwarming as a physician,” McCrary commended Noorlander.

The veteran shared his admirable insights with the crowd: “Even when there seems to be no hope, keep on fighting.”