A 72-year-old man was seriously injured after being attacked by a 70-pound bear while working outdoors in Franklin County, Arkansas. Vernon Patton was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition, where he underwent surgery and remains hospitalized in stable condition.

The attack occurred in the Mulberry Mountain area, where Vernon Patton was doing outdoor work. According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the bear attacked him on the face, arms, and upper body.

"It was a pretty severe attack," Keith Stephens, a spokesman for the state agency, told local media.

Son's quick action

Patton's son witnessed the attack and tried to scare the animal off by throwing rocks. According to authorities, the bear actually lunged at him at one point before fleeing.

Thanks to that intervention, Patton was flown to Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, where he underwent surgery, and later to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Hospital.

First case in decades

Officials noted that there hadn't been any bear attacks on humans in Arkansas in at least 25 years. "This incident is extremely unusual," Stephens said. Some records suggest the last previous attack may have occurred as early as the 19th century.

After the incident, authorities located and euthanized the bear. "If an animal attacks a human, they need to be euthanized. We can't allow that to happen again," Stephens explained.