Cypress woman injured after elk attack during trip to Yellowstone Park

CYPRESS, Texas (KTRK) -- A vacation to beautiful Yellowstone National Park ended with a trip to the hospital for a woman from the Cypress Area.

Penny and Andy Behr went on a hiking trip to the picturesque park in Wyoming.

A week ago, Penny survived a close encounter with the animal during a bathroom break on a hike.

"I have a broken clavicle. I have a broken rib. I have two pretty deep cuts," Penny Behr listed off.

She is still recovering, with the bruises on her arm the only physical hint of the dangerous encounter.

She said she was heading to an outside bathroom from her cabin when she stumbled upon a big elk.

"I turned the corner and there was an elk that was grazing. I had scared him. He scared me. We came nose to nose," she recalled.

She said she tried to get away, but the elk attacked. She screamed for her husband's help.

"When I turned, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the elk rear up and I felt the hooves come down on this part of my body," she said, pointing to her shoulder area. "Then, the next thing, I woke up and I was on the ground, and I've been trampled and several injuries."

According to her husband, she was disoriented, but they were thankful that witness came to her aid.

"There were some good Samaritans nearby that had jumped in and were keeping the elk at bay. They actually pulled their car in between Penny and the elk," Andy added.

Paramedics drove Penny more than 75 miles to a small hospital in Montana. She remains in pain. Amazingly, though, doctors say she didn't suffer any internal injuries.

"It's a blessing," Andy said. "She's very fit and very active, and that helped with the recovery."