EL DORADO COUNTY, California — A man was killed and his brother injured Saturday when a mountain lion attacked them while they were looking for shed deer antlers in a forested area in Northern California. The attack is believed to be the first fatal mountain lion attack in California in 20 years.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office received an emergency call early Saturday afternoon from an 18-year-old who informed them his 21-year-old brother had been attacked by a mountain lion. The call originated from Georgetown, a town in Northern California’s Gold Country. The younger brother suffered “traumatic injuries” to his face and became separated from his brother during the attack.
El Dorado County sheriff’s deputies and paramedics arrived on scene about 20 minutes after the call came in and administered medical aid to 18-year-old. They then found a mountain lion crouched next to the other victim. Officers shot toward the animal to scared it off so they could render aid. Tragically the man had died.
Two California State Department of Fish and Wildlife game wardens and local trapper were tasked with dispatching the mountain lion. They found the mountain lion within “close proximity” of the scene of the attack. The cat was shot and killed. The body of the animal will be examined to “figure out why the attack occurred.”
The younger brother has undergone multiple surgeries for his injuries and is expected to make a full recovery. This is the first fatal attack in California since 2004. Mountain lions have killed four people since 1986.
Our thoughts are with the victims’ family and friends.
El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office
At 1:13pm, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from an 18-year-old male who reported that he and his 21-year-old brother had been attacked by a mountain lion in a remote area of Darling Ridge Rd. and Skid Rd., Georgetown, CA. The reporting party suffered traumatic injuries to his face and was separated from his brother during the attack.
At 1:34pm EDSO Deputies and Paramedics arrived in the area, located the reporting party and began to administer aid to him. Additional Deputies began the search for the unaccounted brother.
At around 1:46pm Deputies observed a crouched mountain lion next to a subject on the ground. The mountain lion was between the Deputies and the subject on the ground. Deputies discharged their firearms scaring the mountain lion off so they could render aid. Unfortunately, the male subject was deceased.
Wardens and Trappers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife along with the El Dorado County Trapper responded to the area, located the mountain lion, and dispatched it.
More information will be released as it becomes available.
