Lynnette Bellin has spoken out about the “ruthless” river otter that mauled her during a Lake Tahoe swim.
Bellin, a 38-year-old Reno-based swimming instructor and mother of two, needed 38 stitches after the Sunday morning attack. She owns ISR Reno Tahoe, a survival swim school in Nevada, and was completing an open water swim when the animal struck.
“Something grabbed my leg and pulled me under,” Bellin said. “And it was so powerful I thought it was a human.”
The otter did not release her. Bellin said the creature lunged at her and began “biting and scratching,” turning what began as a routine swim into a prolonged struggle for survival.
“It was teeth and claws and it was a very long attack,” she said affiliate KRNV.
Bellin fought back repeatedly, pushing the animal away only to have it return. “It just kept coming after me. I kept pushing it away and it kept coming back,” she said.
Bleeding and yelling for help, Bellin managed to reach some boulders in the water. She described them as “slippery” in comments to the Reno Gazette Journal, making her escape precarious even after she had broken free of the otter.
From the rocks, she watched the animal continue to circle. “I even watched and it [the otter] was just circling the rocks,” she said.
The attack left her bloodied and requiring significant medical treatment. The 38 stitches she received underscore the severity of the bites and scratches she sustained during the encounter.
River otter attacks on humans remain rare, though the animals possess sharp teeth and claws capable of inflicting serious injury. Bellin’s survival swim background may have contributed to her ability to reach safety despite the sustained assault.
Wildlife officials typically caution that otters, while often perceived as playful, are wild predators capable of aggressive behavior when they feel threatened or cornered. The circumstances that prompted this particular animal’s prolonged attack remain unclear.
Bellin’s experience marks a disturbing instance of an otter targeting a swimmer for an extended period rather than a brief defensive strike.
The incident has drawn attention to the potential dangers of wildlife encounters in recreational waters, even in areas popular with swimmers and tourists.
Bellin continues to recover from her injuries following the Sunday attack.