A skier was mauled by a bear in Alaska’s backcountry before a dramatic Coast Guard rescue over the weekend, officials said.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter airlifted the man out of danger after he suffered injuries to his head and hands when a bear attacked him on a mountain northwest of Haines on Saturday, the US Coast Guard said in a statement.

The man was flown to Juneau where he received medical attention. The victim remains in stable condition in Anchorage, Alaska State Troopers said.

Two other skiers escaped the area without injuries, officials said.

The group unknowingly entered a den where a bear and its cubs had been living. The bear came out and attacked the skier in self-defense, according to state troopers.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Alaska Wildlife Troopers are investigating the incident.