An Arizona mom conveyed her appreciation on Monday after her teenage son narrowly escaped a black bear that entered their family cabin, leaving him with serious lacerations on his face and arm.
Mom of the Teenager Expressed Gratitude for Son's Safety
"This could have been much worse," Carol Edington Hawkins said. "We're still in shock that this happened, but we feel very blessed."
Hawkins elucidated that her 15-year-old son, Brigham, was relaxing on Thursday evening in one of the two cabins on their property in Alpine when the bear walked in through the open front door and swiped at his head.
"The door was open to let in the cool night air," Hawkins said. "Brigham was watching YouTube and didn't notice the bear."
Once attacked, Brigham "started screaming," she said. "The bear scratched his nose, cheek, forehead, and the top of his head."
His 18-year-old brother, Parker, heard the screams and rushed over from the other cabin, according to their mother.
"Parker initially thought it was a large dog," Hawkins said. "When the bear saw Parker, it started to chase him, giving Brigham time to shut the door in his cabin."
Parker managed to reach the other cabin with the bear close behind him.
"The bear paced outside for a while as we watched through the window," Hawkins said. "Then it sat on a porch couch and looked around. It was surreal."
Hawkins said she called 911 and a neighbor for help, while her husband, Shane, took the opportunity to rush to Brigham's cabin and shut the door in the bear's face.
By the time Arizona Game and Fish Department agents arrived, the bear had left the area. "AZGFD wildlife officers quickly located and dispatched the bear," the agency said in a declaration.
The bear, estimated to be a 3-year-old male, will be tested for illnesses.
Arizona Teen Recovering from the Black Bear Attack
Hawkins reported that her son is "doing better" and has received rabies shots as a preventative measure. She contemplated that the bear might have been hungry, although such behavior is different. Had Parker not intervened, Brigham might not have survived, Hawkins said.
"Brigham has a neurological disorder and couldn't have escaped the bear," she explained. "Several miracles occurred simultaneously to save him."
According to the Game and Fish Department, there have been 16 bear assaults on people in Arizona since 1990, two of which were deadly. The most latest casualty was last year in Prescott, where a 66-year-old man was assaulted by a black bear while drinking coffee.
Earlier this month, a hiker in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming survived a grizzly bear assault. Despite suffering wounds, both casualties of this year's bear assaults survived, unlike one of the bears.
Most currently, a 15-year-old in Alpine was assaulted by a black bear that entered his family's cabin through an open door, as reported by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
"The bear then left the cabin and approached other family members before reentering and swiping at the victim's arm," the agency said in a statement. The family scared off the bear, and wildlife officers later located and dispatched it.
"The bear was a male black bear about 3 years old," the agency stated. "The carcass will be tested for disease." Meanwhile, the boy's family is counting their blessings.
