A quiet family evening in Bellingham, Washington, took a terrifying turn on September 13, 2026, when 12-year-old Robin Westgate unexpectedly came face-to-face with a black bear in his own backyard. What happened next unfolded in seconds, leaving Robin injured and forcing his father to make a split-second decision.

Robin had gone into the family’s backyard fruit orchard after dinner to retrieve a bowl. Instead, he encountered a mother bear, and the surprise encounter quickly became a physical confrontation. By the time the ordeal was over, Robin and his father, Noah Westgate, had both suffered injuries and received medical treatment at a local hospital, according to reports based on the family’s interview with KING 5.

Robin Westgate was suddenly confronted by a black bear

The encounter began with a moment of surprise on both sides.

Robin recalled the first seconds of the confrontation simply:

“Me and the bear startle each other.”

The situation escalated almost immediately. The bear charged Robin twice, turning an unexpected backyard encounter into a fight for survival.

Robin had previously been taught how to react if he encountered a bear. That preparation suddenly became important as he tried to protect himself from the animal.

Looking back at what was happening, Robin described the situation in stark terms:

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

During the attack, Robin suffered puncture wounds around his hip as well as an injury to his wrist. He fought back while attempting to protect himself and screamed for help.

For a 12-year-old who had been doing something as ordinary as retrieving a bowl after a family dinner, the situation had become something entirely different.

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Robin’s younger sister heard the commotion

As Robin struggled with the bear, his younger sister, Riverley Westgate, heard what was happening.

Riverley ran for help, alerting the rest of the family to the danger outside. Her decision to respond to the commotion gave Robin’s father, Noah, time to realize that his son was in serious danger and rush outside.

The sequence was crucial to what happened next.

Rather than remaining alone in the confrontation, Robin suddenly had help on the way. But the danger had not disappeared.

The bear’s attention shifted toward Noah.

Noah Westgate stepped between his son and the bear

Noah Westgate ran outside after hearing the disturbance and realizing that Robin was being attacked.

The bear then turned toward him.

Noah later described an unusual feeling during those frightening seconds:

“Strange as it sounds, a feeling of relief to have her coming at me,” Noah said while describing the moment the bear approached him.

He said he went into what he described as “code red” mode while trying to protect his son.

The confrontation became physical, and Noah struck the bear. The animal then fled from the area.

Noah recalled the moment his hand made contact with the bear:

“She crunches into my hand right at the moment that I land the hardest punch of my life.”

The intervention also came after Robin had already been injured, making the father’s decision to rush outside a critical part of the family’s account of the encounter.

Riverley later reflected on how quickly the situation could have become even more serious.

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

Both Robin and Noah were eventually treated at a local hospital for injuries sustained during the encounter.

Key details from the Westgate bear attack

Detail	Information
Date	September 13, 2026
Location	Bellingham, Washington
Person attacked	12-year-old Robin Westgate
Animal	Black bear
Setting	Family backyard fruit orchard
Robin’s injuries	Puncture wounds around his hip and an injury to his wrist
Other injured person	Robin’s father, Noah Westgate
Person who alerted the family	Robin’s younger sister, Riverley Westgate
Outcome	The bear fled after Noah struck it
Medical treatment	Robin and Noah were treated at a local hospital
Wildlife response	Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel responded and established efforts to trap the bear
Capture status as of September 30	Latest reports did not indicate that the bear had been captured

The bear returned after the initial confrontation

The frightening story did not necessarily end when the bear ran away.

According to reports, the same bear later returned to the area. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel responded, photographed the animal and established efforts to trap it.

As of September 30, the latest reports available did not indicate that the bear had been captured.

The development added another layer of concern for the Westgate family. The animal had not simply appeared once and disappeared forever; it had reportedly returned to the area after the original confrontation.

The family has since taken additional precautions around their property.

Yet Robin said the experience had not fundamentally changed how he viewed the overall danger posed by bears.

Instead, he described a different personal lesson from what happened.

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

That perspective became one of the defining reflections from the encounter.

Robin’s father says he is proud of his son

For Noah, the incident was not simply about the danger of the animal. It was also about seeing how his 12-year-old son responded when suddenly placed in an extreme situation.

He expressed pride in Robin’s response.

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

The family’s account also highlights the different roles each person played during the incident.

Robin fought to protect himself after the bear charged him. Riverley heard the commotion and ran for help. Noah then rushed outside and confronted the animal after it turned its attention toward him.

The family ultimately received medical treatment, and despite the frightening experience, the Westgates have said they remain comfortable living at their home.

Why black bears are found around Washington homes

The Westgate encounter happened in a state where black bears are a known presence.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates that approximately 22,000 black bears live across Washington state. WDFW says black bears are common throughout much of Washington, including suburban areas where greenbelts can provide routes for wildlife movement.

That means encounters can happen surprisingly close to human communities.

WDFW says black bears generally avoid people, but conflicts can occur when bears become accustomed to human-provided food sources. The agency identifies several factors that can attract bears into residential areas, including unsecured garbage, pet food, bird feeders and fruit trees.

That information is particularly relevant to the Westgate incident because the encounter took place in the family’s backyard fruit orchard.

However, the existence of attractants does not change the basic fact that the family encountered a bear unexpectedly in a residential setting.

Washington has been documenting black bear encounters

Wildlife officials have also been increasingly documenting black bear encounters in Washington.

Beginning September 1, 2025, WDFW said it began proactively posting reported black bear incidents, including safety confrontations and sightings, on its incident-report system.

The department continues to warn residents about encounters between people and bears. WDFW says conflicts can become more common when bears seek high-calorie food sources around human communities, while late-season conditions can also affect bear activity.

The agency has repeatedly emphasized that bear attacks are rare.

In a previous Whatcom County incident report, WDFW noted that Washington had recorded one fatal black bear attack on a person, in 1974, along with 20 other human-black bear encounters resulting in documented injuries since 1970 at the time of that report.

Those figures provide important context for the Westgate encounter. Although black bears are widespread across Washington, documented attacks resulting in injuries remain relatively uncommon.

Still, statistics offer little comfort when a bear suddenly appears only steps from a family’s home.

A terrifying backyard encounter becomes a story of survival

For Robin Westgate, September 13 began with an ordinary family routine and ended with a confrontation that he and his family are unlikely to forget.

A trip into the backyard fruit orchard to retrieve a bowl brought him unexpectedly face-to-face with a mother black bear. The animal charged him twice, leaving him with puncture wounds around his hip and an injured wrist.

Robin fought back and called for help.

His younger sister Riverley heard the commotion and ran to alert the family. His father, Noah, then rushed outside. When the bear turned toward him, Noah confronted the animal and struck it before it fled.

Both Robin and Noah required medical treatment.

The bear later returned to the area, prompting WDFW personnel to respond, photograph the animal and establish efforts to trap it. As of September 30, the latest reports did not indicate that the bear had been captured.

Yet the family says they remain comfortable living at their home.

For Robin, the encounter also left him with a personal sense of confidence. His words suggest that while the attack did not change his understanding of the overall danger posed by bears, it changed something about how he saw himself.

And for Noah, the episode became a moment of unmistakable parental pride.

The Westgate family’s story ultimately involves more than a black bear attack. It is a story of a child trying to protect himself, a sister responding when she heard trouble, and a father stepping outside when his son needed help most.

Conclusion

The September 13 black bear encounter in Bellingham left both Robin and Noah Westgate injured, but the family survived the frightening confrontation. Robin’s response, Riverley’s decision to get help and Noah’s intervention all became part of the family’s account of how the incident ended.

With the bear reportedly returning later and WDFW continuing efforts to trap it, the episode also serves as a reminder that wildlife encounters can occur unexpectedly, even around residential homes.

For Robin, however, the experience ultimately left him with a striking conclusion: he discovered that he could trust himself when confronted with a frightening situation.

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Source disclaimer

This article has been prepared based on thorough research of the sources provided below and the verified information supplied for this report. Details concerning the encounter, injuries, statements and family account are presented according to the available reports and information attributed to the Westgate family and Washington wildlife authorities. The article does not imply independent verification beyond what those provided sources support, and the family’s account should not be interpreted as general advice for confronting wildlife.

Sources

• Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife: Black bear information and conflict prevention
• Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife: Predatory wildlife and black bear incident reports
• KING 5/CNN Newsource report on the Bellingham bear attack
• WDSU report featuring Robin Westgate and his family
• People report on Robin Westgate’s bear encounter
• BroBible: Report on the Washington bear attack

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