Catholic Deacon, 33, Mauled to Death in Suspected Bear Attack Left Heartbreaking Voicemail to His Father While on Fatal Hike
Anthony Pollio is believed to have been surprised by the bear.
May 12 2026, Published 4:20 p.m. ET
A Catholic deacon who is suspected to have been mauled to death by a bear left his dad a heartbreaking voicemail while on the fatal hike, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
On May 6, Anthony Pollio was found dead at Montana’s Glacier National Park, just two miles into his hike.
Anthony Pollio Was 'Fearless'
Anthony Pollio is believed to have been mauled by a bear.
According to Anthony's father, Arthur Pollio, the 33-year-old left him the touching message, telling the Sun Sentinel his "fearless" son sounded out of breath while giving him details on his day.
Anthony told his father, "love you," before the message ended. Arthur explained that while his son was an experienced hunter, he was likely caught off guard by the aggressive bear.
Anthony's body is said to have been found about 50 feet off the path he was on. According to the park's news release, he had sustained injuries consistent with a bear attack.
An autopsy has yet to be completed.
The 33-year-old was hiking at Montana’s Glacier National Park,
The suspected bear mauling is the first deadly attack in Glacier National Park in nearly 30 years.
Anthony, an avid hiker who had hiked everywhere from the Grand Canyon to Yellowstone, according to his father, was also passionate about preaching at his local church.
"His life experiences in 33 years – some people don’t get to do 'til they’re 90 or their whole life,” Arthur revealed.
Anthony's brother, Nicholas, also spoke out about his sibling's final moments.
Anthony Pollio's Final Moments
The Catholic deacon is believed to have been surprised by the bear.
"He saw a trail. It was only a few miles," Nicolas explained to WPLG Local 10. "It was daytime. His intention was to go up and see the sunset from the fire watch tower."
However, Arthur believes it was "On the way down" that Anthony may have met his tragic end.
"I believe he was probably accosted by the bear," Arthur suspected. "Used the bear spray. He might have ran from there. I think the bear may have chased him down, grabbed him by the shoulder."
Park officials had revealed they found Anthony's body after discovering some of his "personal items," and Arthur believes a can of bear spray was part of that discovery.
'Evidence Suggests That This Was a Surprise Encounter'
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Anthony Pollio's body was found after his 'personal items' were discovered.
In a statement following the discovery of Anthony's body, the park released a statement which read, "Search and rescue teams located some of Pollio’s personal items along the Mt. Brown Trail approximately 2.5 miles from the trailhead, which prompted a focused search of the surrounding area.
"Pollio was discovered deceased approximately 50 feet off the trail in a densely wooded area with injuries consistent with a bear encounter."
They also noted, "The sequence of events leading to the bear encounter remains under investigation; however, evidence suggests that this was a surprise encounter."
According to the park, the "section of trail where the incident occurred has been temporarily closed while the investigation continues. Park staff are working to determine next steps based on field assessments and wildlife behavior monitoring."
