Bear Attack in US: Viral Video Shows Man Fending Off Charging Animal With Bear Spray Near Lake Tahoe Home
A father near Lake Tahoe used bear spray to stop a charging bear after his daughters encountered the animal while packing for a Fourth of July boat trip. Video captured the incident as the bear approached the family near their vacation home. Cortlandt Koerwitz said the spray deterred the bear but also affected him, prompting him to advise others in bear country to keep bear spray readily available.
A father in the Lake Tahoe area says bear spray helped stop a bear that charged toward him after his daughters encountered the animal near the family's vacation home.
The incident occurred as the family was preparing for a Fourth of July boat trip. Cortlandt Koerwitz said his daughters were packing coolers in the garage when they noticed a bear rummaging through garbage outside the home. Canada Viral Video: Woman Escapes Grizzly Bear Attack While Hiking With Dog, Terrifying Chase Caught on Camera.
Man Uses Bear Spray to Stop Charging Bear Near Lake Tahoe Home
Bear Approached Instead of Retreating
"The girls said that the bear, instead of running away like normal, the bear kind of came towards them," Koerwitz said. According to Koerwitz, he immediately grabbed bear spray that he keeps by the garage door when the bear approached.
"It was rushing me," he said. "The bear spray worked, and it worked on me too. It definitely worked because as the cloud of spray kind of came back toward me." Bhavnagar Lion Attack: Viral Video Shows Big Cat Attacking Man in Gujarat.
Video of the encounter shows Koerwitz deploying the spray as the bear moved toward him. After using the spray, he can be heard coughing and saying, "Got to get a mask on."
The footage shows the bear turning away after the spray was deployed, while the drifting cloud also affected Koerwitz.
Koerwitz said he frequently sees bears near the family's Lake Tahoe vacation home and shared video of a previous encounter from two years ago. However, he said this was the first time he had experienced a bear behaving aggressively. "So, yeah, wasn't a lot of options if I didn't have that bear spray," Koerwitz said.
Koerwitz said his advice for people who live in areas where bears are common is to keep bear spray readily available. He said that without it, he would have had almost no way to defend himself.
Wildlife officials generally advise residents in bear habitats to secure garbage, avoid attracting wildlife to homes, and maintain a safe distance from bears. Bear spray is commonly recommended as a non-lethal deterrent for close encounters when used according to safety guidelines.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 11, 2026 04:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).