A man tried to propose to his girlfriend before she was 'gored' by a bison. He tried again hours later in the hospital: 'Without any hesitation I said yes!'
- Chris Whitehill planned to propose to his fiancé, Amber Harris, at Yellowstone National Park.
- His plan took an unfortunate turn when a bison "gored" Harris on Monday during a hike.
A woman from Phoenix became newly engaged in hospital on Monday after a bison foiled her fiancé's original proposal plans.
For about a year, Amber Harris, 47, had been preparing to visit Yellowstone National Park with her daughter, Rylee Eckblad, and her then-boyfriend, Chris Whitehill. Unbeknownst to Harris, Whitehill also was planning to propose on a "natural bridge," the fiancée wrote on Facebook.
However, those plans took an unfortunate turn Monday morning when the couple encountered two bison while walking toward Yellowstone Lake.
"There were a few other people and about 20 elk roaming around so we waited for them to clear before walking through the field," Harris wrote. "About halfway to the water, we noticed 2 bison. 1 on the path we were walking and the other in the opposite direction."
Harris said that one of the bison was about 50 yards away and that the animal dropped and rolled around in the dirt "like a dog would" before it got up and began to run toward Harris.
The National Park Service said in a press release that the bison "charged and gored" Harris and that she sustained "significant injuries to her chest and abdomen." Harris wrote on Facebook that she had seven spine fractures, "bilateral collapsed lungs," and "bruising all over."
"Glory to God all my vital organs look good," she wrote. The couple launched a GoFundMe to raise money for medical bills.
The National Park Service said the incident remained under investigation. Whitehill did not immediately return a request for comment.
The park agency says wildlife in Yellowstone "can be dangerous when approached." During mating season, from mid-July to mid-August, bison are quick to become agitated, the agency continues. In general, "Bison are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans," the park agency says.
Harris was transported by helicopter to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, the National Park Agency wrote.
That night, Whitehill got down on one knee by her hospital bed and asked Harris to be his wife.
"Without any hesitation, I said yes!" she wrote.