A man tried to propose to his girlfriend before she was ‘gored’ by a bison. He tried again hours later in the hospital: ‘Without any hesitation I said yes!’

• Chris Whitehill planned to propose to his fiance Amber Harris at Yellowstone National Park.
• His plan took an unfortunate turn after a bison "gored" Harris on Monday during a hike.
• Harris said on social media that she sustained seven spine fractures, collapsed lungs, and bruising.

A Phoenix, Arizona, woman became newly engaged in the hospital on Monday after her fiance's original proposal plans were foiled by a bison.

For about a year, Amber Harris, 47, prepared to visit Yellowstone National Park with her daughter Rylee Eckblad and her then-boyfriend Chris Whitehill. Unbeknownst to Harris, Whitehill also was quietly planning to propose on a "natural bridge," the fiancée wrote on Facebook.

Those plans took an unfortunate turn, however, on Monday morning when the couple encountered two bison as they were walking toward 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," Harris wrote. "About halfway to the water, we noticed 2 bison. 1 on the path we were walking and the other in the opposite direction."

Harris claimed that one of the bison was about 50 yards away. The animal dropped and rolled around in the dirt "like a dog would" before it got up and began to run toward Harris.

The National Park Service (NPS) said in a press release that the bison "charged and gored" Harris who sustained "significant injuries to her chest and abdomen." Harris wrote on Facebook that she suffered seven spine fractures, "bilateral collapsed lungs," and "bruising all over."

"Glory to God all my vital organs look good," she wrote. The couple launched a GoFundMe to raise money for medical bills.

NPS said that the incident remains under investigation. Whitehill did not immediately return a request for comment.

According to the park agency, wildlife in Yellowstone "can be dangerous when approached." During mating season, from mid-July to mid-August, bison are quick to become agitated, NPS wrote. In general, "bison are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans," according to the park agency.

Harris was transported by helicopter to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, NPS wrote.

That night, Whitehill got down on one knee by her hospital bed and asked Harris to be his wife.

"Without any hesitation, I said yes!" she wrote.