A warning after a terrifying ordeal for an elderly woman in Falls Church. People are being advised not to swim in Lake Barcroft after the 83-year-old swimmer was attacked by a rabid beaver. Jim Rosenfield reports.
Rabid bats at a football game? Turns out that's a valid concern. Coyotes in Fairfax County? Gotta watch out. Fox stealing a sweater? Yeah, it happened.
But a rabid beaver attack?
Actually, yes.
Police say an 83-year-old woman was attacked by one while swimming in Lake Barcroft in Bailey's Crossroads around 6 p.m. Tuesday.
The woman was able to swim to shore, and a nearby witness stunned the animal with a branch until Animal Control Officers arrived. They euthanized the beaver, which tested positive for rabies.
The victim was transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
In July, two young sisters, ages 8 and 11, were bitten by a rabid beaver while swimming in Lake Anna.
"I’ve been around a long time, and I’ve never really heard of anybody getting bit by a beaver," Louisa Sheriff’s Maj. Donald Lowe told Fredericksburg.com.
