Swim Instructor Survived 5-Minute Lake Tahoe Otter Attack That Required 38 Stitches
Bellin had been swimming in Lake Tahoe for 25 years without even knowing otters lived there. Unfortunately, one introduced itself.
A swim instructor’s routine swim in Lake Tahoe turned into a five-minute fight for survival after an otter repeatedly bit and clawed her in the water. Lynnette Bellin eventually escaped the animal, but not before suffering injuries that required 38 stitches and rabies shots.
Bellin, who lives in Reno, Nevada, has reportedly been swimming in Lake Tahoe for 25 years. She was about 30 minutes into one of her usual Sunday swims when she suddenly felt something pulling on her with enough force that she initially thought another person had grabbed her.
That theory disappeared rather quickly once she felt teeth and claws. Bellin told the Reno Gazette Journal that the attack was “relentless,” and her attempts to fight back only appeared to make the otter more aggressive.
In case anyone still classifies the animal kingdom based on cuteness, it’s worth brushing up on your dangerous animal knowledge before taking a dip in bodies of water in the great outdoors.
Suddenly, Otters Aren’t Looking So Cuddly
Bellin tried picking up and throwing the animal while fighting it off, but the otter continued biting and clawing at her hands and face. She screamed for help as people passed along a nearby bike trail, but nobody could hear her.
Reaching shore didn’t immediately end the ordeal either. Bellin said she made it to some slippery rocks, only for the otter to follow her as she struggled to climb out of the water.
She eventually managed to pull herself onto a larger rock while the animal continued circling nearby. Bellin then climbed over a fence onto the bike trail and walked barefoot and covered in blood back toward the place where she had started her swim.
Her Sunday Swim Ended With 38 Stitches
Police, firefighters, and an ambulance met Bellin after she escaped from what most people might misjudge as a friendly wildlife creature. She later went to an emergency room, where doctors gave her 38 stitches and rabies shots for her injuries.
Perhaps the strangest part is that Bellin apparently didn’t even know Lake Tahoe had otters despite swimming there for a quarter-century. Unfortunately, finding out involved considerably more biting than your average wildlife sighting.
The attack has also affected how Bellin feels about returning to the lake. In a video posted after her emergency room visit, she described swimming in Lake Tahoe as her “peace and sanctuary” and said she felt that had been taken from her by the attack.
Bellin survived an encounter that turned one of her favorite weekly rituals into an emergency room visit in a matter of minutes. Hopefully, any future Lake Tahoe wildlife introductions can happen at a safer distance away from the unexpected dangers of swimming.
Apparently, this is the hard way to discover that being adorable does not automatically mean being clawless.
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