Brentwood Firefighter Rescues Bison Attack Victim

Brentwood firefighter Jay Williams was off duty and on a trip to Catalina Island when he was at the right place to help rescue a man attacked by a bison. Williams and two others are being heralded as heroes for their life saving efforts.

Jay WilliamsBrentwood Fire Chief Brian Goss confirmed that Williams was indeed involved in the rescue. Williamson Source has reached out for additional comments about the rescue from Goss and Williams. We will be updating the story as additional information is released.

Multiple California news sources are reporting the attack took place on the morning of Wednesday, August 27. Los Angeles Fire Department responded at 8:30 a.m. after receiving a 911 call.

The victim, Chris Baker was surveying the area for the creation of a trail system on Catalina Island. Baker who founded the non-profit American Conservation Experience, was brutally attacked by the bison and played dead in hopes the animal would lose interest and leave.

After the bison was out of site Baker, battered and bleeding, stumbled down a trail looking for help.

This is where Jay Williams (who is also a paramedic) and two other off-duty firefighters ran into Baker and called 911 for help. Baker had to be airlifted to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and was treated for a punctured lung and multiple broken ribs.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Baker’s mother told reporters, “He would not have made it back if he hadn’t miraculously ran into the firefighters,” Elaine Garan explained. She went on to say, “They were amazing; they helped him and called the paramedics. He would have been a goner.”

While bison attacks on Catalina Island are rare, they have been involved in other incidents. The island’s bison herd is maintained and monitored by the Catalina Island Conservancy. Although the bison are not native to the island, they play an important role in the cultural fabric of Catalina. Herds have been as large as 700 on the island however today numbers are roughly about 150.

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