A Catholic deacon and avid outdoorsman was found dead in Glacier National Park after what authorities believe was a fatal bear attack, cutting short a cross-country pilgrimage that had become a celebration of faith, nature and independence.

Anthony Pollio, 33, was discovered about two and a half miles up the Mt. Brown Trail, his body roughly 50 feet off the path with wounds consistent with a bear mauling, according to park officials. He had set out alone to watch the sunset over the Montana peaks, a capstone hike on a two-week road trip through some of America’s most iconic landscapes.

Before he vanished, Pollio left his father, Arthur, a final voicemail. In it, he sounded winded but upbeat, narrating his day on the trail before signing off with a simple “Love you.” It was a ritual he had kept throughout the journey, calling home from the road to share each new vista and small adventure.

Pollio, a lifelong Floridian and graduate of the University of Central Florida with a degree in hospitality, had built a life that blended service and exploration. He served as a Catholic deacon at his local parish, preached regularly, and worked clearing and maintaining trails in parks across the country. Friends and family described him as fearless but not reckless, a hunter and outdoorsman who respected the wild.

His father believes that experience was not enough to save him from what was likely an unusually aggressive bear, possibly surprised at close range in dense terrain. There were no witnesses to the attack, and a formal autopsy and full investigation are still underway.

In the weeks before his death, Pollio had hiked the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Starved Rock State Park and the Mount Rushmore area, documenting a journey that combined spiritual reflection with a determination to see as much of the country as he could.

“His life experiences in 33 years — some people don’t get to do until they’re 90 or their whole life,” his father said, reflecting on a son who seemed to compress decades of living into a few restless, joy-filled years.

Now, that final breathless voicemail from a mountainside trail stands as both a goodbye and a testament to a life lived fully, if far too briefly.