Lake Tahoe Swimmer Needs 38 Stitches After Relentless Otter Attack

Lake Tahoe Swimmer Needs 38 Stitches After Relentless Otter Attack
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Asian Small Clawed Otters At London Wetland Centre In London
Asian small-clawed otters groom each other at the London Wetland Centre in London, Britain, March 26, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville

A California woman suffered serious injuries after an otter attacked her for roughly five minutes while swimming in Lake Tahoe. Lynnette Bellin, a 25-year veteran of the lake’s waters, was paddling near a beach around 8 a.m. Sunday when the animal seized her leg. “It kept coming at me with teeth and claws. I tried to push it away, but this thing was relentless,” she wrote. Bellin retreated to a rock, but the otter followed. “It climbed up on the rock and kept attacking me.” She eventually scaled a fence and walked barefoot along a trail to safety. Bystanders spotted her bloodied hands, face, and legs and called first responders. Bellin required 38 stitches and rabies shots. Story URL

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