Lake Tahoe bear charge ends with spray at garage door
Cortlandt Koerwitz said he used bear spray after a bear went from trash-raiding to rushing him outside his California vacation home.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
A Sacramento man’s Fourth of July getaway took a sharp turn when a bear outside his Lake Tahoe vacation home moved from the trash cans to the garage, where his daughters were packing coolers for a boat outing, according to UPI.
Cortlandt Koerwitz told KABC-TV that his daughters were in the garage when they noticed the animal rummaging through garbage at the California property. He said the bear did not react the way bears in the area usually do when people appear.
Instead of leaving, Koerwitz told the station, the animal headed toward the girls.
Koerwitz’s response was captured by a security camera, UPI reported. He grabbed a can of bear spray that he keeps near the garage door and used it as the bear turned its attention to him.
In an interview with KCRA-TV, Koerwitz said he noticed movement to his left and saw the bear coming in his direction. He said both he and the animal were startled, and he fired the spray.
The burst did not spare him completely. Koerwitz told KCRA-TV that some of the spray blew back and got into his eyes.
Koerwitz said bears are familiar visitors around the Lake Tahoe home, according to UPI, but this encounter stood out because of the animal’s behavior. He described the bear’s actions as more aggressive than what he is used to seeing in the area.
The can of spray appears to have made the difference in a close-range moment outside the garage. Koerwitz told KCRA-TV he would have had few choices without it.
The incident was reported by UPI on July 10 and was also covered by KABC-TV and KCRA-TV, which interviewed Koerwitz about the encounter and the security camera footage.
This story draws on original reporting from UPI.