A 72-year-old man from Arkansas remains hospitalized after being mauled by a 70-pound bear this week. It was the state’s first bear attack in decades, and according to a new statement from his family, it will likely prove to be a fatal one.
Vernon Patton had to be airlifted to the hospital after the bear encounter, state Game and Fish Commission spokesperson Keith Stephens told Fox News Digital and The Arkansas Times. “It was a pretty severe attack. It attacked him on his face, his arms, his upper body,” he said.
Family Says Victim Is Unlikely to Survive
In a new statement shared with 40/29 News, Patton’s family called his injuries “ultimately not survivable” and said he remains in the ICU in Little Rock.
“Our beloved father, grandfather, husband and hero, Vernon Patton, was seriously injured in a bear attack while he was doing what he loved, working on his land with his family,” the statement reads. “Vernon is currently being cared for in the ICU in Little Rock. While he remains in stable condition, his injuries are extensive and ultimately not survivable…