Otter Attack at Lake Tahoe

A Reno woman is recovering after being attacked by a river otter while swimming in Lake Tahoe on Sunday, Aug. 30. Lynnette Bellin, a professional swim instructor, was swimming near Hidden Beach in Incline Village when an otter grabbed her leg and pulled her underwater, according to reports citing Bellin's account to the Reno Gazette Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Bellin told the Reno Gazette Journal that she initially thought a person was pulling her because the force was so strong. "At first I thought it was a person pulling on me because it was so strong," she said. "And then I felt the teeth and claws, and it was relentless."

The otter bit and scratched her face, arms, and legs. Bellin said she tried to reach a set of rocks and threw the otter during the struggle. She yelled for help, but no one responded. She eventually managed to climb out of the water using rocks and saw the otter circling the area before driving herself to the hospital.

Bellin received 22 stitches and required a rabies vaccination, according to multiple reports. She is a swim instructor and owns ISR Reno Tahoe, a swim safety and rescue school for adults. She said she had been swimming the same route between Hidden Beach and Incline Village every Sunday since July.

Authorities Respond

The Washoe County Sheriff's Office responded to the incident and searched for the otter on Aug. 30 but was unable to locate it, the Nevada Department of Wildlife told the Reno Gazette Journal. The Nevada Department of Wildlife was notified of the attack by the sheriff's office, according to the Reno Gazette Journal.

Kenzie Margiott, a spokesperson for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, said in a statement to KCRA that such attacks are rare: "It's very rare for us to see something like this." Margiott noted that North American river otters are found throughout the Tahoe basin and that their population has been increasing over the past 15 years.

The department advised people to give otters space and leave the area if they encounter one in the water. Margiott also said signs warning swimmers about the attack would be posted near the area, as reported by the Reno Gazette Journal.

Second Attack This Summer

The incident marks the second otter attack at Lake Tahoe this summer. Bob Daly was attacked at Pope Beach on Aug. 9, leaving him with eight bite and scratch marks, according to South Tahoe Now. There was also an otter attack in Anchorage, Alaska, per KTUU.

Otter Behavior and Attacks

Lake Tahoe is home to Northern river otters, which are nocturnal but may be active in early morning and later afternoon in remote areas, according to the S. Department of Agriculture. River otters can weigh 15 to 35 pounds, according to the Reno Gazette Journal.

Otter attacks on humans are rare. The Otter Specialist Group's 2011 review documented only 39 attacks since 1875, according to reports. North American otters were most likely to be involved, and the greatest number of attacks were documented in Florida. Attacks have also been reported in British Columbia, California, Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

NDOW spokesperson Kenzie Margiott said otters can carry rabies, but because the animal involved in this incident has not been located or tested, the department does not want to speculate on whether rabies played a role. Attacks on people are uncommon, but wild animals can become aggressive if they feel threatened, are protecting their young, or are sick, Margiott said.

Bellin believes the otter may have been protecting its young, according to LADbible. She said she plans to return to the lake when she has healed. "I might not use that little toy otter anymore," she said, referring to a prop used in her swim lessons, as reported by the Reno Gazette Journal.