A voicemail was the last anyone heard from Anthony Edward Pollio before he vanished into the Montana wilderness, a final, breathless message that would haunt his family. The 33-year-old from the Fort Lauderdale area had been traveling across the United States on a two-week road trip when he arrived at Glacier National Park alone. Raised in Davie, Florida, Anthony was known as an outdoorsman who loved hunting, racing, and exploring nature, a man his father described as fearless and deeply curious about the world. On May 3, 2026, he checked into Lake McDonald Lodge and set out on the Mt. Brown Trail, planning a simple hike to watch the sunset from a fire lookout. Before losing cell service, he called his father, left a voicemail saying he loved him, and continued upward into the mountains.

Days later, search teams found his body in a wooded area off the trail, and investigators said injuries were consistent with a bear encounter on the descent. His bear spray was recovered first, helping locate him, though the exact sequence remains under investigation. His father believes he may have encountered a grizzly and tried to escape during the hike. The National Park Service said it was the first fatal bear incident in the park since 1998. For his family, the voicemail he left behind is now a final reminder of love and loss. They remember a man who lived fully, explored widely, and stepped into nature with confidence until its unpredictability took him away finally.