A mountain lion attacked two brothers who were antler shed hunting in a remote area of Darling Ridge Road and Skid Road, Georgetown, California, on Saturday, March 24, fatally wounding the older brother. It is the first fatal mountain lion attack in California in 20 years.
An 18-year-old teenager called 911 on Saturday at 1:13 p.m. reporting that he and his brother had been attacked by a mountain lion. The 18-year-old had suffered traumatic injuries to his face and had been separated from his brother during the attack.
El Dorado Sheriff’s Office (EDSO) dispatched deputies and paramedics immediately and they arrived at 1:34 p.m. in the area. They located the 18-year-old teenager and administered aid to him while additional deputies set out to search for the unaccounted brother. At around 1:46 p.m., 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, all help for the 21-year-old brother came too late and he was declared deceased on site.
Wardens and Trappers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) along with the El Dorado County Trapper responded to the area, located the mountain lion, and euthanized it. The mountain lion was sent to the CDFW for forensics to obtain DNA information and general health information on the lion. The CDFW confirmed on Sunday, March 24, that the DNA was a match for the fatal attack. The male mountain lion weighed approximately 90 pounds and appeared to be in healthy condition. Male mountain lions can weigh between 85 and 170 pounds and measure 42.1 to 66.1 inches.
EDSO officials had not publicly identified the brothers as of Sunday evening but said the 18-year-old had undergone multiple surgeries and would probably make a full recovery. The EDSO announced in a press release on Sunday, “The family is grateful for the prayers and condolences from the community however wishes for privacy in order to process this tragic event.” In addition, the EDSO warns that several fake GoFundMe campaigns had been set up which were neither associated with nor authorized by the family.
Attacks on humans by mountain lions are extremely rare. The last recorded attack in California was in September 2022, when a 7-year-old boy was attacked in Pico Canyon Park, Los Angeles. The last fatal attack in California was recorded in 2004 when a 35-year-old man was killed in the Whiting Ranch Regional Park in Orange County.
