Woman, 61, dies month after bear scalped her in savage attack as she walked her dog
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Brave battle: Lana Hollingsworth, 61, died of a brain haemorrhage a month after being mauled by a bear
A woman has died more than four weeks after being scalped and mauled by a bear as she took her dog out for a walk in Pinetop, Arizona.
Lana Hollingsworth, 61, suffered a massive brain haemorrhage after contracting a severe infection from bacteria carried in the bear's claws.
She underwent at eleven operations as surgeons attempted to reattach her scalp and repair her badly-injured arms.
But Mrs Hollingsworth, a mother, lost her battle for survival last night and died at the Healthcare Osborn Medical Center.
The bear was scavenging for trash at a dumpster near Mrs Hollingsworth's vacation home in Pinetop when it attacked her as she took her dog out for a walk on June 28.
It launched itself at Mrs Hollingsworth three times, ripping off part of her scalp with its claws and teeth and tearing at her arms as she tried desperately to defend herself.
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ShareHer son, Robert Oates, told Fox 10: 'She has defensive wounds with her arms where it basically just shredded her arms and her biceps... naturally they go for your neck and head, you can imagine without going into gruesome details, what's going on there.
Loving couple: Marv Hollingsworth kept a vigil by his wife Lana's bedside as she underwent at least seven operations after the attack
'When the bear would grab her and throw her around, the claws of a bear, and a lot of people don't realize it they stick in you and when it pulls out it just tears flesh away, the worst thing you can imagine.'
Grief: Marv Hollingsworth desperately prayed for his wife Lana to recover from her injuries
The animal only stopped the horrific attack when a neighbour came out and managed to chase it into the woods.
Officials from the state's department of health quickly found the animal and killed it.
Her husband, Marv, rushed out after the attack. He told ABC15: 'She said "Marv, I love you. I'm going to die. I'm going to die, please take care of the dog".
'I knelt down and prayed for her and that was it.'
She underwent seven operations in as many days, while doctors kept her in a medically-induced coma.
During his month-long vigil, an emotional Mr Hollingsworth said; 'She looks like an angel, she doesn't look good but she looks better than she has.'
Her family started a fundraising campaign to help pay for her hospital treatment, and at first medical staff were hopeful she would recover.
But the skin grafts wouldn't heal, and then she developed a serious infection from an unknown bacteria, which is thought to have come from the bear's claws.
They believe the infection led to a brain haemorrhage. She died in hospital yesterday.
Savage attack: Arizona state officials tracked down and killed the bear which scalped Mrs Hollingsworth as she took her dog out for a walk
Terrifying ordeal: The bear attacked Lana Hollingsworth not far from her vacation home in Arizona, as it scavenged for food in a dumpster
Hollingsworth said his wife was an active volunteer since her retirement as a loan officer for a mortgage company.
'She was a very caring person,' he said, his voice choked with emotion.
'She was the first one to sign up to help someone else.'
It comes just weeks after a Californian man was killed by a bear while hiking with his wife in Yellowstone National Park.
Officials say bears are travelling further and further to find food because of wildfires and drought.
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