A former Detroit Tigers player development coordinator is recovering after a grizzly bear attack nearly cost him his right arm.
“I don’t post much but I’ve been granted a second chance at life and I’m feeling extremely grateful to be able to tell this story,” Daniel Crago wrote via LinkedIn on Saturday, June 6. “Last week, a friend and I took a vacation to Glacier National Park in Montana. After over 25 miles of hiking for the week, beautiful views and spending a lot of time in nature we were at the peak of the Grinnell Glacier Trail on our last day of hiking and had a surprise encounter with a grizzly.”
He then linked to a GoFundMe page intended to raise money to offset his medical costs related to the attack, which happened on May 28.
“I’ve been touched by the amount of support from people in my life, both through my gofundme and personally reaching out. I’m truly grateful beyond words,” Crago, 32, added.
In the GoFundMe description, Crago explained that the bear latched onto his arm, dragging him 20 to 30 feet.
“I kind of flipped, landed on my backside, opened my eyes, and the bear had continued running down the mountain,” the San Diego native later told CBS8.
He added, “Thankfully, the bear didn’t injure the wrist, didn’t injure the elbow. It was just a complete crush of the bones, the forearm bones.”
A nearby pediatric ER doctor was able to stabilize his arm and stop the bleeding while they waited for EMS to arrive.
“Another hiker was able to contact EMS via satellite and get the helicopter dispatched to our location,” he wrote on his GoFundMe page. “I was airlifted by helicopter to the nearest hospital where the emergency room staff, orthopedic surgeon, and hospital team worked tirelessly to stabilize me and begin my recovery.”
Three surgeries later —with one more on the way — Crago’s father, George, told the California Post that his son is focused on healing.
“Thank you for caring but he’s still in a lot of pain and has a long road ahead of him,” he said.
Despite the dramatic attack and subsequent rehabilitation, Daniel said the injury won’t keep him from enjoying the outdoors.
“It’s part of who I am,” he told the Post. “It’s not gonna stop me.”
Daniel spent more than five years working for the Tigers, starting as a player development intern at the club’s Spring Training complex in Lakeland, Florida. He was hired as a player development coordinator in November 2021 and stayed in that role until September 2025, according to LinkedIn.
