Mother of 4 Recovers After Bear Attack

A mother of four is recovering after she fought off a bear during a camping trip with her family in Virginia.

Laurie Cooksey was hiking at Douthat State Park when she and her sons were charged by the bear, which set its sights on Cooksey, swiping at her back and biting her leg. 

"I kind of hit him and kicked him at the same time, and his balance, because we were on such a steep incline, rolled him backwards," Cooksey told NBC affiliate WWBT.  

Fending off the bear gave her enough time to run and meet up with her family, who scared the bear away when it came towards Cooksey one last time. Her sons yelled and jumped up and down to make the bear back down. 

While the Department of Conservation says the family did exactly what they were supposed to do in a bear attack — show no fear, make noise — Cooksey said this will be last camping trip.

The bear believed to be responsible for the attack was killed Sunday night, officials said. 

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