Swimmer injured in rare otter attack at Lake Tahoe
Swimmer sustains nearly 40 stitches from rare otter attack at Lake Tahoe.
Event / Disaster
Lake Tahoe Otter Attack
A woman was attacked by an otter while swimming at Lake Tahoe near Incline Village, sustaining serious injuries including nearly 40 stitches and requiring rabies vaccinations. Experts note such attacks are extremely rare and may have been triggered by the swimmer approaching a mother otter and her young.
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2026-09-02 to 2026-11-07 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 2 Sept, 01:45 UTC
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What happened
Otter attacks swimmer at Lake Tahoe near Incline Village
A woman identified as Lynnette Bellin was attacked by an otter while swimming near Hidden Beach in Incline Village at Lake Tahoe around 8 a.m. on a Sunday. The otter grabbed her leg and pulled her underwater, then lunged at her repeatedly while biting and scratching. Bellin fought back and eventually reached rocks to escape the water. The otter remained nearby circling the area before Bellin made her way back to the beach.
Swimmer receives nearly 40 stitches from otter attack injuries
Lynnette Bellin received nearly 40 stitches (38 stitches in one account) following the otter attack at Lake Tahoe. She also began a series of rabies vaccinations as a precautionary measure after the incident.
Otter attacks are extremely rare, experts say
Megan Isadore, executive director of the River Otter Ecology Project, stated that encounters between people and river otters rarely become violent. One possible explanation for this attack is that Bellin may have unknowingly gotten too close to a mother otter and her young, causing the animal to become defensive.
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