‘He was fearless’: Man from South Florida killed in bear attack at Glacier National Park

A 33-year-old man who grew up in South Florida died in what authorities said appeared to be the first deadly bear attack at Glacier National Park in Montana since 1998.

An experienced outdoorsman and hunter, Anthony Edward Pollio had been on a two-week road trip with a friend, his father, Arthur Pollio, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Friday. On May 3, Pollio arrived in Montana while his friend continued traveling.

Pollio had stopped at Lake McDonald Lodge within the national park and was hiking a steep 10-mile roundtrip trail near the historic Mount Brown Fire Lookout when a bear attacked him, his father said.

Authorities had been searching for Pollio since he disappeared Sunday. His body was discovered Wednesday in a densely wooded area about 50 feet off the trail.

“His injuries are consistent with those sustained by a bear encounter,” the National Park Service said in a written statement Thursday to The Associated Press. “Wildlife and law enforcement personnel are currently assessing the area for bear activity and any ongoing public safety concerns.”

Arthur Pollio told the Sun Sentinel his son left him a voicemail while he was on the hike. Slightly out of breath, Pollio told his dad what he was doing and that he loved him, Arthur Pollio said.
Anthony Pollio, 33, grew up in Broward County and was an experienced woodsman and hunter, his father told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. (Arthur Pollio/Courtesy)
“He was fearless,” Arthur Pollio said. 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.

He grew up in Davie and was a “Broward County boy,” riding ATVs, kneeboards and personal watercrafts, his father said. Pollio had been hunting for two decades.

He attended St. Bernadette Catholic School in Davie and St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale and was an athlete at both schools. He studied hospitality at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Pollio was living in Sebring and was a deacon at his church there, his father said.

The trip to Montana was one of several visits to national parks Pollio made in his life. He had been to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park, Starved Rock State Park in Illinois and Mount Rushmore National Memorial and had dug for dinosaur fossils in Thermopolis, Wyoming, his father said.

“His life experiences in 33 years, some people don’t get to do ’til they’re 90 or their whole life,” Arthur Pollio said.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.