Swimmer Survives Relentless River Otter Attack During Swim in Lake Tahoe [WATCH]

A Nevada woman who has spent decades swimming in Lake Tahoe said she is now reconsidering where she enters the water after a river otter attacked her during an open-water swim Sunday morning, as reported by the New York Post.

Lynnette Bellin, 51, a Reno-based swimming instructor and owner of ISR Reno Tahoe, was swimming near Hidden Beach on Aug. 30 when the encounter occurred.

Bellin said the animal repeatedly attacked her in the water before she was able to reach safety.

Reno woman badly attacked by river otter in Lake Tahoe on Sunday https://t.co/Px23dRKfeq

— RGJ.com (@rgj) September 1, 2026

Bellin, who has swum in Lake Tahoe for 25 years, required 38 stitches following the incident, including 22 stitches to her foot.

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“Something grabbed my leg and pulled me under,” Bellin told CBS News. “And it was so powerful I thought it was a human.”

She said the otter then began “biting and scratching” and described the animal’s behavior as persistent.

“It was just ruthless,” she said.

Bellin later described the encounter to NBC affiliate KRNV, saying the animal continued returning even after she attempted to push it away.

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“It was teeth and claws, and it was a very long attack,” she said.

“It just kept coming after me. I kept pushing it away, and it kept coming back.”

Bellin yelled for help and eventually made her way onto nearby boulders, according to the Reno Gazette Journal. She said reaching safety was difficult because the rocks were slippery.

Once out of the water, Bellin said she could still see the otter nearby.

“I even watched, and it was just circling the rocks,” she said, describing the otter as “very menacing.”

The longtime Lake Tahoe swimmer said the incident was particularly difficult because swimming in the lake has long been an important part of her life.

Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Bellin said she considers the freshwater lake a place of peace and sanctuary.

But the encounter has left her uncertain about returning to the water in the immediate future.

“I feel like that was robbed from me after the otter attack,” she wrote online.

Bellin nevertheless expressed hope that she may eventually return to swimming in Lake Tahoe, though she said the experience has changed how she views the places where she enters the water.

“Perhaps I will just pick different beaches to swim at,” she said.

The attack occurred near Hidden Beach, a popular area along Lake Tahoe.

Bellin’s experience has drawn attention to the rare but potentially dangerous encounters that can occur between people and wildlife, even in areas frequented by swimmers and visitors.

For Bellin, who has spent a quarter-century swimming in Lake Tahoe, the incident was an unexpected interruption to an activity she had long considered a source of comfort.

After receiving medical treatment for her injuries, she said she remains hopeful she can eventually return to the lake — though likely with a more cautious approach to choosing where she swims.

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