A mountain lion attacked a pair of brothers March 23, leaving one of them dead, in a remote area in Northern California, authorities said.
Authorities said this is believed to be the first such fatality in two decades.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office reported that Taylen Brooks and Wyatt Brooks, ages 21 and 18, were attacked on Saturday afternoon near the Eldorado National Forest near Georgetown, located 52 miles northeast of Sacramento, during an outing.
The sheriff’s office received a call about the attack from Wyatt at 1:13 p.m. Deputies arrived at the scene about 20 minutes later and found the teenager with serious injuries to his face.
Additional deputies searched the area and spotted a mountain lion crouched next to an individual on the ground.
Deputies fired their weapons to scare off the mountain lion, which stood between them and the victim. The individual, later identified as Taylen, was found dead.
Wyatt was taken to a hospital for treatment.
On Sunday, the sheriff’s office reported that according to a family spokesman, “the 18-year-old brother has undergone multiple surgeries for his injuries and is expected to make a full recovery.”
“The family is grateful for the prayers and condolences from the community, however wishes for privacy in order to process this tragic event,” the sheriff’s office said.
Several GoFundMe accounts have been established in support of the family; however, the agency noted that these accounts are not affiliated with or authorized by the family.
Following the incident, officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), along with El Dorado County trappers, arrived at the scene, located the mountain lion, and euthanized it.
“The mountain lion has been sent to the CDFW forensics laboratory to obtain DNA information and general health of the lion,” the Fish and Wildlife Department said in a statement Saturday.
According to the department, the most recent fatal mountain lion attack in California took place in January 2004, resulting in the death of a 35-year-old cyclist on a trail in Orange County.
