A black bear broke into an Arizona cabin on Thursday and attacked a 15-year-old boy who was watching TV, but the boy’s brave family managed to chase the bear away.
Brigham Hawkins, who has a rare neurological disorder, was watching TV after a long day of fishing in Alpine when the bear walked in through the open front door of his cabin.
The black bear reportedly attacked Hawkins multiple times, and Hawkins’ family, who were in a nearby cabin, heard the boy’s screams and furiously tried to scare the bear away, according to the report.
“He didn’t see it because it came from behind him and then he reached over and scratched him twice in the face – he scratched his nose and cheek and then he scratched his forehead and the top of his head,” his mother, Carol Hawkins, said. He told the AZ Family.
Brigham’s older brother, Parker, heard the commotion and ran to his brother, thinking at first it was a large dog, but soon realized it was a bear as it chased their mother. He told 12News.
“Parker ran up onto the porch and into another cabin to get away from the bear,” she recalled.
“And the bear was roaming up and down our porch.”
Meanwhile, Brigham’s father sprinted to help his son, who was injured in the brazen attack, from the shed, Carol Hawkins said. He got to safety and called 911.
Authorities arrived on scene and pursued the 3-year-old bear about 120 feet from the cabin, where it died.
“It’s thanks to the quick actions of my brother and his family that we were able to divert the bear’s attention from a situation that could have easily turned tragic in a matter of seconds,” Shawn Wagner, law enforcement supervisor for the state Game and Fish Department, told AZ Family.
Hawkins said her family was upset when they heard the bear had been killed, but knew it had to be done.
“People who don’t understand wildlife or Arizona think this is normal bear behavior and that we should understand,” Hawkins told 12News.
“I just want people to understand … this is unexpected, this is not normal. Whatever the reason, there is something unusual about this bear, something is wrong.”
This is reportedly the 16th time a bear has attacked a person in the Copper State since 1990, two of which have been fatal.
Brigham suffered cuts to his face and arms but is expected to make a full recovery.
“We feel very lucky that someone was definitely watching over him because he was so small and had a lot of health issues and there was no way he could have chased this bear off or fought it,” Hawkins told the station.
“He was just…protected.”
