Lake Tahoe otter attack leaves swimmer with dozens of stitches, animal still at large

The Reno woman Lynnette Bellin was attacked by a river otter near Hidden Beach on Lake Tahoe, with the otter pulling her underwater and inflicting bites and claw marks requiring dozens of stitches and rabies shots. The otter has not been captured, and authorities say they are continuing to search for the animal while posting warnings for lake users. Wildlife officials note otter populations in the Tahoe Basin have grown over the past 15 years and reference a recent otter encounter at Pope Beach. Bellin, an experienced swim instructor, says the attack lasted about five minutes and she is fundraising to cover recovery time away from work. Officials stress that rabies testing is pending and all depictions of rabies are inconclusive until testing, and they remind visitors to give wild otters space amid multiple recent swimmer reports.