Arkansas man dies after rare black bear mauling

A 72-year-old Arkansas man died Sunday from injuries sustained in a rare black bear mauling earlier this month, state officials and his family said. Vernon Patton of Ozark, Arkansas, was attacked on September 3 in the Mulberry Mountain area and succumbed to his wounds on September 14 after being moved to hospice care, authorities and relatives confirmed.

The attack occurred while Patton was working on a gravel road in the Mulberry Mountain area, with some accounts saying he was spreading gravel and others reporting he was riding a tractor on the roadside when the bear struck. His son arrived to find his father being mauled and intervened, according to officials, using rocks to drive the animal off. First responders airlifted Patton to Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville for surgery, and he was later transferred to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. Family members said his injuries were extensive and ultimately not survivable before he was moved to hospice in Springdale.

Keith Stephens, chief of communications for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, described the incident as severe, saying the bear attacked Patton on his face, arms...