Man killed, brother injured in mountain lion attack in Northern California foothills
GEORGETOWN - A 21-year-old man was killed and his brother was injured in a mountain lion attack in a remote area of Northern California's El Dorado County Saturday, authorities said.
El Dorado County sheriff's deputies were dispatched to a report of a mountain lion attack in a remote area near Georgetown at around 1:15 p.m. local time. They said it was in the area of Darling Ridge Road and Skid Road.
The report came from an 18-year-old man who said a mountain lion attacked him and his 21-year-old brother while they were antler shed hunting. The teen said he had injuries to his face and was separated from his brother during the attack.
Shortly after 1:30 p.m., the 18-year-old was contacted while deputies searched for his brother. About 15 minutes later, deputies found a crouched mountain lion next to the victim on the ground.
Deputies fired their guns to scare the mountain lion off but once the mountain lion ran off, the 21-year-old was pronounced dead. The family has identified the victim as Taylen Robert Claude Brooks; his 18-year-old brother has also been identified by family as Wyatt Jay Charles Brooks.
The teen was taken to the hospital for treatment. On Sunday, officials said he had undergone multiple surgeries and is expected to make a full recovery.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) responded to the area and located the mountain lion. It was euthanized near the scene and the body was collected for further examination.
On Sunday, the DFW said it confirmed DNA samples collected from the scene matched samples taken from the mountain lion's carcass. The male mountain lion weighed about 90 pounds and appeared to be in healthy condition.
The last known deadly mountain lion attack in El Dorado County was in 1994. Mountain lion encounters are uncommon in California but do occur. The last confirmed deadly mountain lion attack in the state was in 2004.
Forensic scientists will continue to analyze results to determine if the mountain lion had underlying health conditions.
If you encounter a mountain lion, officials said to give them an escape route, don't run and stay calm, make loud noises and try to look bigger, put small children on your shoulders, and never crouch down.
Georgetown is located about 50 miles northeast of Sacramento.