The grandfather who was tossed several feet into the air by a charging bison at Yellowstone National Park has spoken publicly for the first time since the terrifying attack.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Carl Isom-McDaniel, 65, said he is "ok" as he continues to recover after undergoing surgery for a broken thigh bone.
He suffered four fractures to his femur but was already able to stand on Monday, just one day after the operation.
The attack took place on Friday evening at the Bridge Bay Campground, south of Fishing Bridge.
Grandfather Speaks Out After Yellowstone Bison Attack
Isom-McDaniel was visiting the park with his 13-year-old grandson when a nearby bison became increasingly agitated.
As the pair took photographs from a distance, the animal suddenly charged, sending them running toward a nearby area with trees.
The bison plowed through nearby vegetation before catching up to Isom-McDaniel and launching him high into the air.
"Thank you, everyone, I am OK," Isom-McDaniel wrote on Facebook on Sunday night.
"When I was on the ground immobile, unable to move, he was right on top of me," he told CNN.
"He could have stomped on me, he could have gored me, he could have done almost anything to take my life, and he did not do so."
Viral Footage Captures Terrifying Encounter
Professional photographer Mike MacLeod, of Bozeman, Montana, witnessed the incident and captured the now-viral footage.
"They weren't even in that camping loop," McLeod told Cowboy State Daily. "They were walking along the road, quite a ways away from the bison, and it started running at them."
A white pickup truck then entered the area, which McLeod said appeared to agitate the bison even further.
"The bison hooked him with his left horn on his hip and tossed him in the air," McLeod added. "He made a perfect flip and landed on his side. The bison was at least 6 feet tall, and (the victim) was several feet above him."
MacLeod and several other bystanders ran toward the animal to drive it away, allowing Isom-McDaniel to receive medical attention.
Yellowstone EMS quickly arrived to treat the injured man, with his grandson later revealing that his grandfather had "some pretty significant injuries."
MacLeod remains adamant that everyone observing the bison, including Isom-McDaniel, kept what he described as a "respectable distance."
He said the group did nothing to provoke the animal before it charged.
