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All in all, the guy was lucky or has a team of Guardian Angels on call.
One of the most illuminating moments about bears, came watching Alaska State Troopers. One of the officers was looking for somebody, but there were reports of a bear in the area. The Trooper’s Bear repellent? Twelve gauge shotgun loaded with slugs.
Bear spray does nothing other than startle the bear or other large animal, hopefully (stress that, HOPEFULLY) enough to cause them to break off their attack. Generally it works because bears are not preying on humans, and their attack is to protect their territory, cubs, or food. A blast of pepper spray is enough to get them to start thinking that it may not be such a bad idea to let this two legged creature walk through my turf.
On the other hand, if you are not packing something a bit more persuasive, you are just asking for a toe tag.
Setting aside the efficacy issue, I used to work at a sporting goods store and customers would come in looking for bear spray. I would show them our choices and most would balk at the ~$40-60 price for legitimate bear spray.
A small number would be drawn to those small self-defense pepper sprays intended for humans with bad intentions. I would try to explain their 10 foot range, in perfect conditions, would mean they already have a threatening, charging bear within 10 feet. The implications didn’t even register in their brains.
In the end, the cheap price was the deciding factor for them. I wished them luck. Idiots.
The concept of “Distance is your friend” seems lost in many people.