Woman left needing 38 stitches after being attacked by ‘relentless’ otter while swimming
A US woman was left needing almost 40 stitches after a rare attack from a ‘relentless’ and 'aggressive' otter.
Swimming instructor Lynette Bellin was out for a dip in the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe on Sunday (30 August).
Bellin told KCRA that swimming in the lake is one of her ‘favourite’ things to do in the area and that she finds it ‘kind of meditative’.
However, her swim on Sunday took a horrifying turn after she felt something ‘powerful’ grab her.
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"I just felt something grab me by my leg and pull me under.
“And it was so powerful. It felt like it was a human," Bellin told KCRA.
But upon turning around she spotted the otter.
She continued: "This otter just started coming after me, teeth and claws, and, you know, my only thought was like, ‘I got to get away from this’.
“But it kept following me. I tried to swim away from it at one point and it was just attacking my feet.”
In a post online Bellin said the attack from the otter felt ‘relentless’ and that it even followed her when she climbed onto a rock and continued biting her.
Bellin said the attack continued to get ‘more and more aggressive’ and estimates that it went on for around five minutes until she was eventually able to climb up some rocks and make her way back to dry land.
After getting out of the water, Bellin was covered in blood due to bites across her face, arms, legs and feet, but was met by first responders who she believes were called to the scene by a passerby who witnessed the unusual attack.
Bellin was taken to hospital via ambulance and had to have 38 stitches for her injuries.
She was also given several rabies shots.
According to a fundraising page set up by someone in Bellin’s local community she will need to take ‘several weeks’ off work while recovering from the attack.
Otter attacks are, thankfully, rare, with Bellin explaining that every authority she had reported the attack to saying it was a first for them.
Bellin believes that the otter may have been protecting its young when it attacked.
In a statement to KCRA, Nevada Department of Wildlife spokesperson Kenzie Margiott, said: "It's very rare for us to see something like this.
“The North American river otters are in the entire Tahoe basin in the Truckee River, all the way down to Pyramid Lake and all the connecting waterways.
“Their population has been increasing for the last 15 years. So, we are seeing more in the area."
The Department of Wildlife went on to advise people to give otters space and leave the area if they come across one in the water.
Although shaken up by the attack, Bellin says she will return to the lake when she’s healed.
She told ABC News: “I have 38 stitches right now. I can't swim until those are all healed up. But September is a great time to be swimming in the lake so I'm sure I'll find myself in there eventually.”
Claire Reid