California mountain lion attack victims identified
WRITTEN BY KTVU STAFF
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif, (FOX-35)- UPDATE ON MARCH 25, 2024 AT 3:06 PM- The two brothers who were attacked by a mountain lion in El Dorado County, leaving one of them dead on Saturday, have been identified.
The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said 21-year-old Taylen Robert Claude Brooks of Mt. Aukum was killed and his 18-year-old brother Wyatt Brooks, also of Mt. Aukum was wounded in Georgetown, a remote part of the county, while collecting and gathering deer antlers.
Taylen Brooks died from his injuries. His younger brother survived the attack and called the Sheriff's Office.
This was the first fatal mountain lion attack in California in 20 years. The last fatal encounter was in 2004 in Orange County, according to a verified list kept by the Fish and Wildlife Department.
Deputies arrived at around 1:30 p.m. to find the younger brother with facial injuries. Minutes later, they saw a crouched mountain lion next to the older brother on the ground, according to the statement.
The deputies fired their guns and scared off the big cat.
The surviving brother "has undergone multiple surgeries for his injuries and is expected to make a full recovery," the sheriff's office said Sunday. "The family is grateful for the prayers and condolences from the community, however wishes for privacy in order to process this tragic event."
The mountain lion was found and trapped by California Department of Fish and Wildlife wardens and then euthanized, officials said.
Mountain lion kills 1, injures another in El Dorado County
One person is dead and another was injured after being attacked by a mountain lion in El Dorado County on Saturday, officials say.
The two people attacked by the big cat were brothers, aged 18 and 21, who were hunting. The younger brother survived the attack.
This was the first fatal mountain lion attack in California in 20 years.
El Dorado Sheriff's Office said a 911 call came in at 1:13 p.m. about two people who had been attacked by an animal. The attack happened in Georgetown, a remote part of the county. The location is about 55 miles northeast of Sacramento.
A sheriff's office statement read, "unfortunately, there is one individual who was mortally wounded during the attack. The other individual who was attacked suffered injuries and was taken to a local area hospital for treatment."
The extent of the survivor's injuries was unclear.
The mountain lion was trapped and killed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, officials said.
Mountain lion sightings are common in this part of the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Investigators will try to determine what led to the attack.
