Family saves 15-year-old boy attacked by bear in Alpin

ALPINE, Arizona. – A 15-year-old boy was unexpectedly attacked by a bear while watching television at his family’s cabin in the eastern Arizona town of Apline.

The bear came through an open door and attacked the boy from behind.

His 18-year-old brother Parker came to help.

“The bear came into the cabin and, as far as we could tell, hit him from behind the couch and scratched his face,” said Carol Hawkins, the mother of 15-year-old Brigham Hawkins.

Brigham had just finished a long day of fishing and went into the family bunkhouse to watch television. The rest of the family was still in the cabin, about 20 feet away.

Brigham suffers from a rare genetic disorder, which his siblings have compensated for in the past by taking care of him.

“He started screaming, but he (Parker) could barely hear him, so he went to check on him and thought it was a dog. He thought it was a really big dog,” she said.

Brigham could have been saved because of his brother’s quick reaction.

“When he got there, the bear turned around, saw him and started chasing him,” Carol said.

While his brother distracted the bear, his father was also able to help him escape to safety.

Brigham has cuts on his face and arms, but it could have been worse and his mother is grateful.

“No matter what you do, bad things can happen. I’m just glad everything turned out the way it did. I really don’t think it was luck, it’s a blessing,” she said.

How common are bear attacks?

Arizona Game and Fish warns that bears are unpredictable and even deadly.

Last June, a black bear killed a 66-year-old man near Prescott in an unprovoked attack.

The bear that attacked Brigham was found and euthanized.

They assume that the animal was three years old and are testing it for rabies.

Brigham is still on the road to recovery.