Horrific news out of Montana’s Glacier National Park – the iconic home of America’s most prominent ice sheets that climate alarmists once said as late as 2015 would be gone by 2020 – revealed a Catholic deacon had likely been mauled to death in a suspected bear attack just 2.5 miles into a solo hike. The body of Anthony Pollio, just 33 years of age, was found approximately 50 feet off the hiking path on the Mt. Brown Trail.
Bear attacks are known to occur and caution is always advised in the rugged wilderness, but it marks the first bear-related death in the sprawling national park since 1998. In the summer of 2025, injuries to a park visitor were documented but they were non-fatal. As it relates to the late deacon, no formal autopsy has yet been completed but initial reports suggest the sustained injuries lead authorities to believe it was indeed bear.
The family of the deceased shared news of the death with a local Florida news outlet, his home state. His father remarked that Pollio had arrived in Montana on Sunday, May 3rd with a friend with the intention of doing some further hiking alone as the friend continued on with his travels. The solo traveler had disembarked near Lake McDonald Lodge, preparing to hike a 10-mile roundtrip trail when, as previously mentioned, roughly one-quarter into his trek he disappeared.
On Wednesday, May 6th, three days after leaving for the hike and without having been seen nor heard from, park officials located the body off the trail. Reacting to the tragic news, park officials then communicated their early assessment. “His injuries are consistent with those sustained by a bear encounter…Wildlife and law enforcement personnel are currently assessing the area for bear activity and any ongoing public safety concerns,” the National Park Service said in a written statement Thursday to The Associated Press.
The Sun Sentinel reported on an interview with the father of Anthony Pollio, Arthur, who said his son was ‘fearless.’ “He described his son as a natural leader in his jobs and among his friends, a kind, intelligent man who loved animals and a “motorhead” who enjoyed racing cars,” the father added.
The New York Post added that the Montana hike was but just a small sample of the adventures of the young deacon. “Before his final excursion in Montana, Anthony hiked through the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and the connected Grand Teton National Park, Starved Rock State Park and the Mount Rushmore National Memorial,” the Post wrote.
The 33-year-old Catholic deacon had been involved with the church for most of his life. He attended St. Bernadette Catholic School in Davie and St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale in his home state of Florida. He lived in Sebring and was connected to that community’s Catholic church as well.