A 5-year-old boy was taking a night hike on Tuesday with family in California, when he was attacked by a mountain lion out of the blue.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said that Jack Trexler, 5, could have died if his mother, Suzie Trexler, hadn’t moved him away and fought with the cougar during the attack in San Mateo County .

The terrifying incident happened at approximately 6:50 p.m. The 5-year-old was out for a stroll with his mother and grandparents close to their property on Tunitas Creek Road near Half Moon Bay.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife did a small-scale search but could not locate the animal.

Animals are frequently euthanized after attacks because of the danger they present to humans.

California wildlife officials decided to abandon their efforts to capture the mountain lion after they were refused access to private areas close to the assault location, making it challenging to locate or catch the animal.

The boy’s parents took him to a local hospital. The boy’s aunt, Amie Wagner, told the media that although the boy wasn’t bitten, his face had lacerations, and he had a cracked bone close to his eye.

In another incident in September, in Southern California’s Santa Clarita Valley, a 7-year-old child was attacked by a mountain lion while on a stroll with his father at twilight. The child was treated for minor injuries after the father scared the cougar away.

Attacks against humans by mountain lions are not common. According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, there have been only around 20 verified attacks in California in more than 100 years, and only three have been fatal.

Department of Fish and Wildlife Captain Patrick Foy said, “If attacked, fight back. That’s probably the most important thing for people to understand. It’s not something where you play dead. You have to fight for your life.”