Overview
- Pollio, whose body was discovered Wednesday, May 6, about 50 feet off the Mt. Brown Trail, had injuries consistent with a bear encounter that investigators say likely happened by surprise.
- Rangers launched a search after family reported him missing on May 4, then focused on the area when crews found some of his belongings about 2.5 miles from the trailhead.
- The park has closed the affected section of the Mt. Brown route while staff monitor bear activity and assess next steps, and officials have not released autopsy findings or confirmed the species involved.
- Family members say Pollio left a final voicemail telling his father he loved him and believe he used bear spray, which they say was found among his things.
- This is the first fatal bear encounter in Glacier since 1998, and the park notes it supports dense populations of black and grizzly bears as nearby Yellowstone also reported two hikers injured last week.