Florida deacon embarked on scenic hike, left his father a touching voicemail before he was mauled to death by a bear

Anthony Pollio, 33, a Catholic deacon from Florida, was an experienced hiker. When he embarked on his latest venture around Montana’s Glacier National Park he likely never suspected it would be his last, but sadly nature had other plans.

Polio’s body was found dead two and a half miles into the Mt. Brown trail with injuries that were reportedly consistent with that of a bear attack as per the New York Post. The autopsy has yet to be completed so for now it’s only a suspected bear attack, until the results can confirm what exactly caused the injuries.

Glacier National Park is known as “Bear Country” due to it being densely populated by grizzly bears. Despite this, bear attacks are somewhat rare, and fatalities from such encounters are even more so. The last time someone was mauled to death by a bear in the national park was almost 30 years ago in 1998, the last time someone was recorded as being injured by one was August 2025.

Anthony Pollio left a touching message for his father before he died

Anthony’s father, Arthur Pollio, stated that his son had left him a voicemail while on the hike. Arthur explained that Anthony sounded out of breath while he spoke about his day, ending his message by telling his dad, “Love you.”

The 33-year-old had been on a two week road trip and had regularly called his father to tell him what he was up to so there was nothing out of the ordinary about the voicemail. Arthur explained that he believed his son had likely been caught off-guard by an aggressive bear, ultimately leading to his demise.

Anthony had been an experienced hunter and was well-versed in traversing trails around national parks including trails through the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Starved Rock State Park, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. So it’s safe to say he knew how to handle himself out in the wilderness. Despite all his experience there is very little one can do against an angry grizzly.

The National Park Service website has a comprehensive guide on what to do if you ever encounter a bear on the trail, and while it won’t guarantee your survival it could help your chances. If you ever cross paths with a brown/grizzly the official advice is to leave your pack on the ground and play dead. If it’s a black bear then you must escape or fight back.

The father of Anthony Pollio spoke highly of his son’s accomplishments in life, “His life experiences in 33 years — some people don’t get to do ’til they’re 90 or their whole life.” When he wasn’t trekking around the country he was preaching at his local Catholic church.

The investigation into Pollio’s death is ongoing.