A 5-year-old was in fair condition early Saturday after his mother rescued him from the clutches of a mountain lion that attacked him in his family’s yard northwest of Aspen, Colorado.
Shortly before 8:00 p.m. the Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center received a 911 call from a man reporting that his son had been attacked by a mountain lion in the area of mile marker 4 on Lower River Road. The father told 911 dispatchers that he was driving his injured son to Aspen Valley Hospital and quickly disconnected. Dispatchers aired the call to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office who initially responded to the hospital. Lower River Road is located approximately 10 miles northwest of the City of Aspen in unincorporated Pitkin County.
During an interview with the mother deputies learned the 5 year old boy had been playing outside with his older brother. From inside their residence the boy’s mother heard screaming coming from outside. The mother ran outside, saw the mountain lion on her son and was able to physically remove her son from the mountain lion. The boy sustained injuries to his face, head and neck. The mother sustained minor injuries to her hand and legs. The mother was able to accurately describe to deputies where the mountain lion had attacked her son.
A short time later deputies, along with a law enforcement officer from the US Forest Service responded to the residence. The officers were able to locate a mountain lion in the same area of the front yard that had previously been described by the mother of the injured boy. That mountain lion was put down by the US Forest Service law enforcement officer.
Officials with Colorado Parks and Wildlife were notified and are enroute to the scene to examine the deceased lion, continue their investigation and attempt to locate a second lion that was reported to be in the area earlier in the day. At the time of this release the 5 year old boy has been transferred in fair condition to a hospital in Denver, according to officials with Aspen Valley Hospital.