A Canadian Man Defended Himself Against a Bear Attack With a Wine Bottle

A Canadian man used a wine bottle to fend off a bear attack, and managed to walk away with just a few claw marks and a sore back.

Jack Ballantyne, 44, was drinking in a remote area of La Ronge, Saskatchewan on Friday morning, when a bear approached him. Ballantyne had lost some of his hearing and did not initially hear the bear, his sister Rose told the CBC.

“All he remembers is that the bear took a swipe at him, hit him and he went flying,” Rose Ballantyne said.

Ballantyne used his wine bottle to defend himself and said he punched the bear in the nose, according to the CBC. He went to the hospital a few hours later after suspecting internal bleeding, but recovered by Saturday morning.

“I’d say he’s really lucky, I don’t know what he did but he’s very lucky and we’re all relieved to see that he was okay,” Rose Ballantyne said.

Write to Mahita Gajanan at mahita.gajanan@time.com.