Family releases identities of brothers involved in deadly NorCal foothills mountain lion attack
GEORGETOWN - The family of the two young men who were attacked, one fatally, by a mountain lion in Northern California are thanking the community for the outpouring of support they've received since the incident.
In a statement, the Brooks/Welsh Family and Wyatt Brooks also identified the two young men as 18-year-old Wyatt Jay Charles Brooks and 21-year-old Taylen Robert Claude Brooks.
"Taylen and Wyatt grew up in Southern El Dorado County where they enjoyed hunting and fishing together, almost daily. These two young men being as close as any two brothers could be, lived a full energetic life enjoying the outdoors," the family said in their statement.
Both were avid outdoorsmen.
"A brother is a friend given by nature. These two brothers were driven by nature," their family stated.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) confirmed Sunday that the mountain lion euthanized after a deadly attack in the Northern California foothills was the same one from the attack since the DNA samples collected from the scene matched the samples taken from the lion carcass.
"The cougars are all over where I live four miles up country," said Thomas Granat who lives in Georgetown. "We hear them all the time in the summer screaming at night."
Taylen Robert Claude was killed in the attack. Wyatt Jay Charles has severe injuries but is expected to survive; he is now recovering at home, his family says.
Brothers fought for each other
Sergeant Kyle Parker with the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office called the two boys heroes and said they fought for each other.
"They did what they were always taught to do. They raised their hands in the air. They yelled. They made themselves appear bigger than what the mountain lion probably thought they were," he said.
Parker said the young men did not have any antlers on them when the mountain lion came up from an embankment and onto the trail. The family said the brothers did not bring weapons with them because they did not want to be mistaken as poachers for the opening day of turkey hunting season.
"The mountain lion attacked Wyatt first, and Taylen, out of that love for his brother, began to attack the lion to try and get it off while Wyatt was defending himself also," Parker said.
The family said the mountain lion had bit Wyatt in the face and clawed at his stomach. Once it released him, it went for Taylen's throat and took him to the ground. That is when Wyatt returned the brotherly love and tried to grab the lion to release its grip on his older brother. He braved it until he could not any longer.
The 18-year-old made the call to first responders for help after his 21-year-old brother was dragged off by the mountain lion.
Fish and Wildlife told CBS13 that they found the cat crouched near the body of Taylen, who lay dead. They shot at it, scaring it off.
They then brought in their dogs to sniff out the mountain lion, which was about 100 yards away from where the attack happened. Officials then killed it.
DNA testing matched the lion carcass to the sample taken from the scene allowing them to confirm they got the correct cat.
"You never know when your last day is so just enjoy those you are around with," said Parker.
In a statement released by the family, they said that Wyatt has been in the Mt. Adams Fire Academy since last September. He aspires to be hired by Cal Fire. He is an ardent bow-hunting enthusiast and avid baseball player.
Taylen worked with his father, Aaron, painting houses and cutting firewood. He truly enjoyed nature and fishing and was a talented guitar player. Family said he was a kind and gentle soul who will be missed deeply by all who knew him.
The family plans to hold a memorial for Taylen and thanks the community for its support during this difficult time.
How rare are deadly mountain lion attacks?
People living in Georgetown said they are fully aware of the dangers the predators pose.
"You see their droppings, you see their footprints," said Melinda Smith who comes up to Georgetown often from Grass Valley. "I go to the river all the time and I have never seen one, but that does not mean they are not there watching you."
The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said the last deadly mountain lion attack in the county was in 1994, so this is rare.
"From myself, from the sheriff's office, from the sheriff himself all the way down, we're extending our condolences to the family of this tragic event," said Sergeant Kyle Parker with the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office.
"You just got to know when you go out in the woods, you are not the apex predator anymore," said Granat.
The CDFW is confident they got the right cat, but people are confident there are more out there.
"This is their land," Smith said. "We are encroaching on their land, so we should be respectful of the animals."
No one in the town will forget about the killer cat anytime soon.
"There is going to be a big outpouring from the community and a memorial for the kid," said Scott Plowman who lives in Georgetown.
The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office is still investigating everything that led up to the deadly attack.
The CDFW said it was a male mountain lion about 90 pounds, in good health. It took them hours to track it down and kill it.
Forensic scientists will continue analyzing necropsy results to determine whether there were underlying health conditions for the mountain lion.
