Succession actor treated in hospital after being attacked by otters in California river
Actor played an ATN producer in HBO series’ fourth season
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Succession actor Crystal Finn had to receive hospital treatment after being bitten by an otter during a river swim in northern California.
Finn is among the latest victims in a string of extremely rare otter attacks.
Finn played ATN producer Lauren Pawson in the hit HBO drama’s season four episode “America Decides” opposite Matthew Macfadyen’s Tom Wambsgans.
“I felt something on my backside and on my leg,” Finn, who was attacked while swimming in the Feather River near Plumas National Forest in July, told the San Francisco Chronicle.
“I started looking around and yelling out and [the otters] popped up right in front of me. Then they dove down and started going at me again.”
Finn, who also recently performed alongside Will & Grace star Debra Messing in the Broadway play Birthday Candles, received treatment for bite injuries at Tahoe Forest Hospital in Truckee.
“I could see the bites on my legs and knew I had been bitten on my butt – that one was the worst, but I couldn’t see it,” she said. “The bites really hurt.”
She added that she didn’t see the otters in the part of the river she was swimming in; however, would not have anticipated an attack if she had.
“If I had seen them, I don’t think it would have given me pause,” she said. “I would have thought, ‘Oh those cute river otters.’”
The news comes after a woman in Montana received “more stitches in my body than I can count” after being attacked by otters while celebrating her birthday on the Jefferson River.
Jen Royce called the otter, which left her with lacerations in both ears, arms, hands, legs, and one ankle, “vicious and relentless”. She was eventually airlifted to hospital. Two of Royce’s friends, whom she was with at the time, also received lesser injuries.
Dr Martin Rosengreen, a doctor at Tahoe Forest Hospital, told the Chronicle that he and his colleagues had never seen an otter attack victim until this summer when they received two patients within days of each other.
“After the first otter attack I thought, ‘Wow that was kind of special’ and then two days later there was another one,” he said.
The Chronicle reports that Finn’s ordeal was likely due to heavy rains, which have elevated the Feather River to its highest level in decades.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments