A 13-year-old boy is still recovering after a terrifying encounter with a rabid beaver left him with serious injuries, nerve damage and three surgeries.
Dominick Cebula was swimming at Cunningham Falls State Park in Frederick County, Maryland, on July 26 when the animal suddenly attacked him.
His father, Jeff Cebula, said Dominick had been swimming and looking at fish underwater when the beaver came after him.
“He grabbed its head and a leg, and he tried to get it off of him,” Jeff told WUSA.
But the animal would not let go.
“At that point, he kind of felt that it was locked onto him,” his father said. “And then it started shaking its head, kind of like a dog would do.”
Dominick eventually managed to free himself, but the attack was not over.
The beaver came at him again and bit his right hand.
The injured teenager was airlifted to a Baltimore hospital, where doctors treated him for possible rabies exposure.
Dominick suffered injuries to his chest and hands as well as extensive nerve damage and has since undergone three surgeries.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources said the beaver was captured the following day, euthanized and tested positive for rabies.
Dominick’s aunt, Leigh Cebula, said the attack was completely unprovoked.
“He did not provoke it, poke it, or mess with it in any way,” she wrote on a GoFundMe created to help with his medical expenses. “This was completely unprovoked.”
The beaver was estimated to be about 4 feet long.
Despite everything he has been through, Dominick has recovered enough to begin high school and celebrate his birthday.
His aunt encouraged people to send him words of support.
“If you feel so inclined, please drop D a happy birthday, a word of encouragement, or just a message letting him know people are rooting for him,” she wrote.
But Dominick’s frightening encounter was only the beginning of an unusual series of beaver attacks in Maryland.
On Aug. 5, a 19-year-old fisherman was bitten by another rabid beaver and later received medical treatment.
Authorities killed that animal, and it also tested positive for rabies.
The incident prompted officials to temporarily close Hunting Creek Lake and surrounding areas of Cunningham Falls State Park until authorities determined the area was safe to reopen.
Then, on Aug. 13, a 10-year-old girl attending summer camp was attacked by a beaver while swimming in a creek at Seneca Creek State Park.
The girl suffered three cuts to her upper leg and was taken by her family to a hospital in Bethesda.
Four days later, authorities found a dead beaver that tested positive for rabies, although officials could not confirm whether it was the same animal that attacked the girl.
Officials said the Seneca Creek incident was not believed to be connected to the attacks at Cunningham Falls.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources stressed that beavers are normally not aggressive toward people.
“Beavers are typically non-aggressive and avoid conflict with humans,” the agency said.
Still, officials recommend staying at least 25 yards away from medium-sized wild animals.
Anyone who is bitten or scratched by a wild animal should seek medical attention immediately.
