SACRAMENTO, CA – According to official reports, a dreadful incident materialized over the weekend in the northern California wilderness when a mountain lion attacked two brothers, resulting in one death and severe facial injuries for the other.
California officials confirm this as the first deadly mountain lion attack within the state in the past two decades. The brothers, ages 18 and 21, were exploring around the El Dorado National Forest area in search of shed deer antlers when the unexpected event occurred on Saturday afternoon.
The surviving teenager dialed the emergency services around 1:13 p.m. PT to report the attack, at which time he had lost sight of his older brother, stated the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.
Rescue services, including paramedics and sheriff’s deputies, found the injured teenager near Georgetown and immediately initiated medical aid after their arrival around 1:34 p.m. Subsequent search operations conducted by the remaining deputies discovered the older brother’s motionless body with a mountain lion between them.
Officers fired shots to drive the mountain lion away and provide necessary medical assistance, although the victim succumbed to his fatal injuries. The condition of the surviving teenager, who is being treated in a local hospital, was not reported.
A search operation was conducted by officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, as well as a trapper from El Dorado County. They were attempting to locate the mountain lion. Following their efforts, the animal was eliminated, and its body was set aside for further analysis that confirmed the link between the lion and DNA samples from the attack scene.
While such violent incidents involving mountain lions in California are quite unusual, the last recorded fatal attack dates back to 2004, according to state officials. The state has had less than fifty reported mountain lion attacks on humans since 1890, six of which culminated in fatalities.
Earlier this year, a group of cyclists near Seattle, Washington, saved a fellow cyclist from a similar mountain lion attack.