12-Year-Old Boy Fights Off Bear in ‘Terrifying’ Backyard Attack

A 12-year-old Washington boy says he was forced to fight for his life after coming face-to-face with a black bear in his own backyard — and the terrifying encounter left both him and his father injured.

Robin Westgate was outside his family’s home near Bellingham on the evening of Sept. 13 when he unexpectedly encountered the bear.

“Me and the bear startled each other,” Robin later recalled.

Then the animal charged.

According to Robin, the bear came at him twice and clawed him near the hip, leaving puncture wounds.

At just 12 years old, he quickly realized he had only one option.

“It was fight or die,” Robin said. “I didn’t really have an option.”

Instead of running, Robin stood his ground and fought back.

“If you curl up or if you run away, you’re probably going to die,” he said. “If you fight, you have a better chance, so fight.”

That instinct lines up with guidance from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Officials advise people not to run from a black bear and say that if a black bear actually makes physical contact during an attack, the person should fight back aggressively.

The commotion quickly brought Robin’s father, Noah Westgate, outside.

When Noah saw what was happening, he rushed toward his son.

The bear then turned its attention toward him.

As frightening as that sounds, Noah said he actually felt a moment of relief because it meant the animal was no longer focused on Robin.

“Strange as it sounds, it was a feeling of relief to have her coming at me,” Noah said.

Then came another brutal moment.

The bear bit down on Noah’s hand just as he threw what he described as the hardest punch of his life.

Robin’s younger sister, Riverley, heard the chaos and ran for help.

“I’m just glad I was outside with him and the injuries weren’t worse,” she later said.

Both father and son survived.

Washington wildlife officials confirmed that a man and a child were injured in a black bear encounter outside Bellingham and were treated at a local hospital. The agency received the report the following morning and launched efforts to locate the bear.

The attack has raised additional concern because it was not the only recent bear encounter reported in the area.

In August, a woman running near the Y Road trailhead northeast of Lake Whatcom was reportedly chased and knocked into blackberry bushes by a bear.

After the September attack involving Robin and his father, wildlife officials increased patrols and continued efforts to locate and capture the animal.

Black bears are common across much of Washington and generally avoid humans, but conflicts can happen when people and bears unexpectedly encounter one another.

Wildlife officials say bears can become particularly active in the fall as they search for food before winter.

Despite the terrifying experience, the Westgate family says the attack will not make them afraid to enjoy their property.

For Noah, the lasting memory is how his young son reacted when confronted with an animal far stronger than he was.

“I’m a proud papa that my 12-year-old son stood his ground against a black bear,” he said.

Robin says the attack changed something for him too.

“Just because I got attacked doesn’t change anything about the overall danger,” he said. “The only thing that has changed is now I know I can trust myself.”