Who is Amber Harris? Phoenix woman sustains 7 spinal fractures in bison attack on day fiance was going to propose
PHOENIX, ARIZONA: Amber Harris had planned a memorable romantic trip to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. However, what was meant to be a memorable trip ended up becoming a nightmare when she was attacked by a bison during the visit. The attack left her with significant injuries to her chest and abdomen, including seven spinal fractures and two collapsed lungs. The attack unfortunately disrupted her fiance's plans to propose during the trip, leading him to propose to her while she was recovering in a hospital.
Harris kept her friends and family updated through a Facebook post, sharing significant updates about her condition. "We’ve been planning this vacation to Yellowstone NP for about a year. So excited to spend quality time with Chris Whitehill and my daughter Rylee Eckblad. We woke up our first morning and walked down to the lodge for some coffee then decided take a walk through a field to get to Yellowstone Lake. There were a few other people and about 20 elk roaming around so we waited for them to clear before walking through the field," she wrote.
Harris continued, "About halfway to the water we noticed 2 bison. 1 on the path we were walking and the other in the opposite direction. We stopped and looked at the massive beast, about 50 yards away on the trail, hidden at first in the shadows of the tress. We watched him drop and roll in the dirt, like a dog would. He got up on his feet and started walking then running towards us."
Who is Amber Harris?
Harris is a 47-year-old woman from Phoenix. She works as a Registered Vascular Technologist at Atria Heart Cardiac Clinic & Wellness Center in Phoenix, Arizona, and is originally from Anaheim Hills, California.
Amber Harris sustained seven spine fractures
"I was carried out of the field on a stretcher to an ambulance and then transferred to a helicopter for a life flight to Idaho. Pain meds, CT, MRI and I sustained 7 spine fractures, bilateral collapsed lungs and bruising all over. Glory to God all my vital organs look good," Harris wrote.
Harris revealed Whitehill been planning to propose to her during their vacation. "Chris had planned a beautiful marriage proposal this week on a natural bridge but all thee of us have been in the hospital since yesterday morning and I won’t be able to leave any time soon. So my love got down on one knee beside my hospital bed last night and formally asked me to be his wife. Without any hesitation I said yes!"
Whitehill stated that she received immediate assistance and was flown to the closest trauma center in Idaho shortly after the attack. "When it’s someone you love and you witness something so tragic like that, you feel helpless," he told AZ Family, adding, "I praise God that she’s here with us, and I praise God that he’s going to get through it, but it’s still an extremely difficult thing to go through." He started a GoFundMe for Harris to cover the medical bills.