How a Placerville woman raised thousands to buy mountain lion attack victim a new truck
A Placerville woman is raising money to help the victim of a deadly mountain lion attack this spring that killed his brother in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Wyatt Brooks, who was 18 at the time of the attack, lost his brother, Taylen, when the two were charged by a mountain lion March 23 near Georgetown in El Dorado County. Teresa Brewster, a dental hygienist, had known the brothers for years and decided to raise money to help Wyatt replace his truck that was bloodied during the traumatic incident.
“At that time I was just in total shock,” Brewster said after learning about the attack through the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office. “I read that he had gotten back in his car after being mauled, I knew immediately right then a new car needed to be offered in some way or another.”
The two brothers saw the mountain lion approaching while searching for deer antler sheds, a pastime they often did together in the spring. Officials said they did the right things when the mountain lion approached them, including Wyatt throwing a backpack at the lion and raising their arms to make themselves appear bigger.
Mountain lion attack are rare, according to officials, and they often avoid human interaction rather than attack. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife reported there were 21 mountain lion attacks in the state since 1986 and the attack on the Brooks brothers was just the fourth that resulted in a death since records have been kept.
Instead of running away, the mountain lion charged Wyatt and bit his face, causing severe lacerations while Taylen tried beating on the lion. Wyatt wrestled the mountain lion to the ground before it began clawing at his midsection. Wyatt loosened his grip.
Then the mountain lion charged Taylen, bit his throat and took him to the ground. After attempting to get the mountain lion off his brother, Wyatt left the scene to get cellphone reception. He returned to their truck where he called 911 before driving back to the area where the attack occurred.
Deputies later found the mountain lion couching near Taylen and determined the 21-year-old did not survive the attack. The mountain lion was later euthanized by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Wyatt Brooks since the incident has recovered from his injuries, which required reconstructive surgery to his face and neck, and has prioritized time with his family, Brewster said.
“He’s thankful, he’s grateful,” said Brewster. “He’s a really quiet, shy kid. He’s just a great kid, and his brother was a really great kid as well. These are good, good kids. I’m looking forward to offering this new vehicle so he can make some new memories.”
Brewster set up a memorial savings account at the El Dorado Savings Bank where people can make contributions that will go directly to Brooks tax free. By last week, Brewster raised over $26,000. She’s been in communication with the Thompsons car dealerships in Placerville to supply Brooks with a reliable, lightly used pickup truck. The initial goal was to raise between $26,000 and $31,000.
“I think he deserves more than anybody can give,” Brewster said. “It’s just never going to be enough. He’s going to have to live with this for the rest of his life, the trauma of it. Every day moving forward is going to be not the same as it once was for him. So, hey, let’s give him a truck.”
Brewster also did her own fundraising, which included posting about it in the El Dorado County Chat Facebook group that has more than 31,000 members. She said the account has received donations from people across the country who saw postings on Facebook. She also hung posters in the area and sold flowers outside a Busy Spot Market in Diamond Springs, which raised some $1,300.
The money will be made available to Brooks later this month, Brewster said, and he plans to use the money responsibly, even if he gets more than he would need to purchase a truck.
“He did acknowledge that if he wasn’t to spend all of the money (on a truck) it would go to gas,” Brewster said.
