BREAKING NEWS

Boy attacked by mountain lion in Colorado before mother saves him

DENVER - A boy was attacked by a mountain lion on Friday while playing outside his home in western Colorado before his mother was able to fend off the animal and rescue her son, the local sheriff said.
The unidentified 5-year-old boy was playing outside his home northwest of Aspen with his older brother at a little before 8 p.m. when the mountain lion attacked him, the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
His mother heard screams and raced outside where she found the cougar on top of her son, the sheriff said.
The mother "was able to physically remove her son from the mountain lion," the sheriff said.
The boy's father called 911 as he drove his son to hospital.
The child sustained injuries to his face, head and neck and was in fair condition. He was later taken to a hospital in the Denver area, a hospital spokeswoman said.
The mother was treated for injuries to her hands and legs and released, according to the spokeswoman.
Sheriff's deputies and a law enforcement officer from the US Forest Service found the mountain lion in the front yard of the residence and put down the animal, the sheriff said.