A teenager suffered injuries to his arm and face after he was mauled by a black bear that got into his cabin while he was watching TV.
Brigham Hawkins, 15, was alone in his family cabin near Blue River Road in Alpine, Arizona, on Thursday night when a bear came through the open door and attacked him from behind. His mum Carol Edington Hawkins said the family has been going to the cabin for years and never experienced anything similar.
She explained her son, who has a rare neurological disorder, did not see the bear until it swiped at his face twice. During the attack, the bear took several swipes at the teen, leaving Brigham injured, but thanks to the help of his family, the boy survived as they managed to chase the bear away.
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The teen was watching TV in the family cabin when a bear got in (Carol Hawkins)
He survived thanks to the family's quick thinking (Carol Hawkins)The teen's mother told AZ Family that after an initial attack, the bear left the cabin but then came back and started attacking Brigham again. She explained: "He hadn't realised it because it came in from behind, and it reached over and like swiped at his face twice.
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"Got him on the nose and the cheek and then went ahead and got his forehead and the top of his head." However, after his brother Parker heard Brigham's screams, the family helped chase the animal away.
AZ Game and Fish Department Law Enforcement Supervisor Shawn Wagner praised the family's quick reaction, saying: "It was thanks to the quick reaction by his brother and his family that they were able to distract the bear from what very easily in a matter of seconds could have turned into a real tragedy there." He added the three-year-old black bear was killed about 120 feet away from the cabin and its body has been taken to the state health lab for examination and to test for rabies.
Carol Edington Hawkins said her son didn't see the bear as the animal attacked him from behind (Fox 10)Following the incident, Carol wrote on Facebook on May 24: "We are feeling so blessed today and thankful to our Heavenly Father. Yesterday a bear came into my parent’s cabin in Alpine and attacked Brigham while he was watching TV alone. Parker heard Brigham's screams and got the bear away from him and Shane was able to get to Brigham.
"So many miracles worked together to keep Brigham safe. We would like to say thank you to Alpine first responders, the sheriff’s department, Sterling Simpson, Robert Haws, Arizona Game and Fish, and the local hospital for all their help. We also appreciate all the prayers said on Brigham’s behalf. Not many kids can say they got in a fight with a bear and came out on top."
The teen's mum said the family was upset to hear the bear was killed, but knew it had to be done. She said: "People that … don't understand wildlife or Arizona think that you know, this is just normal bear behaviour, and we should be understanding."
She added: "I just wish people could understand … this is not what you would expect, this is not normal. For whatever reason, there was something wrong with this bear, something was off." While her son suffered gashes to his face and arm, he is expected to make a full recovery.
This was the 16th bear attack on a person in Arizona since 1990. Of those, two were deadly. Arizona Game and Fish reminded people to be aware when visiting bear-inhabited parts of the state - and taking precautions such as securing food, setting up campsites away from places like bodies of water, making noises while hiking in groups, avoiding wearing scented lotions or perfume and keeping pets on a leash.
The three-year-old black bear was killed (Stock photo) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)The AZGFD says if you encounter a black bear, you should not run but instead back away slowly while keeping eye contact with the animal. You should also make yourself appear bigger by flaunting your arms or pulling your shirt above your head. If attacked, you should try to fight back, officials say.
The recommendations, however, are different when encountering a grizzly/brown bear as in this case, if the animal charges and attacks you, you should play dead and avoid fighting back. The US National Park Service explains you should wait minutes until you are sure that the bear is gone and only if the attack persists, you should fight back.
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