The brother of a man mauled by a mother grizzly bear along B.C.'s rugged central coast says a pair of dogs may have saved the victim's life.

Johnny Johnson was attacked a by bear while out picking salmonberries near the remote village of Oweekeno on Rivers Inlet, about 480 kilometres northwest of Vancouver.

Glenn Johnson told reporters that his brother had taken two dogs along with him on his walk, and while they may have actually attracted the bear's attention, they were likely able to scare off the bear with their barking.

"It was the dogs themselves that scared the bear off again, so that saved him," Glenn said from the hospital. "We're very relieved. Our prayers have been answered."

The injured man was airlifted to Victoria General Hospital, where he is listed as in serious but stable condition in intensive care.

Johnson's niece Jacqueline Hunt followed him to the hospital, and said he has broken bones in both arms, numerous deep cuts and five visible bite marks. He's already undergone surgery to close up some of the wounds and place a skin graft on his head.

"We were very happy to see that he was able to speak to us and that he was coherent," Hunt said.

"He was full of tubes last night, and we're very thankful that some of the tubes have been removed and that he is awake and responding and talking to us."

Despite his severe injuries, Johnson was able to drag himself to the home of his friend Frank Hanuse, who loaded him onto an ATV and drove to get help.

Hanuse said he was at home with his granddaughter at the time of the attack. He heard his dog barking and realized that someone was leaning against the door of the house.

"I looked at him and he was full of blood, and I thought, ‘Holy smokes,'" Hanuse said. "He said, ‘I got mauled by a grizzly.'"

He said he almost fainted when he saw how badly his friend had been injured. Johnson appeared to be in shock, but he was alert enough to tell Hanuse's young granddaughter not to look at him.

Hanuse, who describes himself as the unofficial game warden on the remote First Nations reserve, says that the grizzlies in the area have been getting bolder in recent years. Last year, he had to put down two animals after they broke into local homes.

"We've had bears coming and going constantly for most of our lives here. We've had a few close calls, people getting chased right up to their front doors, practically," he said.

"But this is the first time anyone's ever been munched up."

He said that he's searched unsuccessfully for the bear that attacked his friend to shoot it, even though he's heard that Johnson doesn't want it to be harmed.

"As far as I'm concerned, once a bear has done that, he'll think, ‘Yum yum, he's a real easy mark, let's chew on him,'" Hanuse said.

The attack marks the second suspected mauling in B.C. in a week. A Lillooet woman was found dead outside her home on Friday, and her body had been chewed by black bears.

Autopsy results revealing whether she was actually killed by the bear are expected Tuesday.