Lynnette Bellin describes swimming in Lake Tahoe when something grabbed her leg and pulled her underwater. It wasn’t a human; it was a river otter. The otter then viciously attacked Bellin, leaving her bloodied and terrified. Thankfully, she escaped the animal by swimming to some rocks on the side of the lake and climbing up to a bike trail.
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Bellin says she’s never even seen an otter in the lake, which straddles the border of California and Nevada, and she’s been swimming on the Nevada side for 25 years. She is a swimming instructor and stresses the importance of being a confident, competent swimmer for moments just like these.
[RELATED: WATCH: Rare Video of Otters in Arizona’s Salt River]
When Bellin reached the trailhead, emergency responders were waiting for her. She received dozens of stitches at the hospital and multiple rabies shots to boot.
See the damage a river otter did to a swimmer in Lake Tahoe here (viewer discretion advised).
Below is a news report on the incident, including an interview with Bellin:
Header stock image by Diana Robinson Photography/Getty Images
