In the summer months along Maryland's familiar recreational waterways, three people — including two children — were attacked by rabid beavers at state parks, a series of encounters that unsettled the quiet assumption that nature, in its managed and designated spaces, remains benign. A thirteen-year-old boy bore the worst of it, airlifted to surgery after an unprovoked assault that his family described as unlike anything they had witnessed in years of swimming at the same site. The incidents invite a broader reckoning with how wilderness and human leisure coexist, and whether the systems meant
Maryland teen airlifted after rabid beaver attack at state park
A 13-year-old boy suffered severe chest and hand wounds requiring airlifting and surgery; a 19-year-old fisherman and 10-year-old girl were also bitten in subsequent attacks.
This was completely unprovoked.
Mark
Why would a beaver attack like this? They're not typically aggressive animals.
Mimi
The beaver tested positive for rabies, which fundamentally changes behavior. A rabid animal loses its natural wariness and can become unpredictably violent. That's what made this so shocking to the family—they'd swum there for years without incident.
Luke
Right, but we should be clear: the source confirms the beaver was rabid after the fact. We don't know if the animal was already sick when it attacked or if something else triggered it. The family's account is reliable, but the "why" of the beaver's behavior is still somewhat open.
Mark
The fact that there were three attacks in quick succession—does that suggest a pattern or just bad luck?
Mimi
The timing is striking enough that it prompted park closures. Three rabid beavers in a few weeks at state parks in the same region is unusual. But the source doesn't explain whether there was an outbreak, whether the animals migrated, or whether detection just improved.
Luke
Exactly. We know three attacks happened and that all three animals tested positive for rabies. What we don't know is whether there were other rabid beavers in the area that didn't attack anyone, or whether this was truly a cluster. The parks closed, but the source doesn't say what the long-term response was.
Mark
What about Dominick's recovery? Is he going to be okay?
Mimi
He's recovering well as of the reporting date. The surgery repaired nerve damage in his finger, and he completed his rabies post-exposure treatment. His mother said they're nearing the end of the traumatic event.
Luke
That's what the family said in September. The source doesn't include any medical prognosis beyond that—no word on whether there will be lasting complications, whether he can return to normal activities, or what his long-term outlook is. We know he's doing better, but "better" is relative after something like that.
The Pulse
- A four-foot beaver attacked a swimming boy without warning, clamping onto his chest and shaking with predatory force before biting his hand a second time as he tried to retreat.
- Within weeks, two more rabid beaver attacks followed at Maryland state parks — a fisherman bitten at the ankle, a ten-year-old girl attacked while wading — signaling a pattern rather than a single aberration.
- Authorities closed swimming areas at Cunningham Falls and Seneca Creek State Parks, but the rapid succession of incidents left open the larger question of how many animals in the parks may be infected.
- Dominick Cebula, the thirteen-year-old at the center of the first attack, underwent surgery in September to repair a severed nerve, while his family credited the rabies vaccine protocol with saving his life.
- The cluster of attacks is pressing wildlife managers and public health officials to reassess rabies surveillance in recreational areas long considered safe — a reassessment that may reshape how parks monitor and communicate wildlife risk.
In the summer months along Maryland's familiar recreational waterways, three people — including two children — were attacked by rabid beavers at state parks, a series of encounters that unsettled the quiet assumption that nature, in its managed and designated spaces, remains benign. A thirteen-year-old boy bore the worst of it, airlifted to surgery after an unprovoked assault that his family described as unlike anything they had witnessed in years of swimming at the same site. The incidents invite a broader reckoning with how wilderness and human leisure coexist, and whether the systems meant to monitor that boundary are keeping pace.
On a July afternoon at Cunningham Falls State Park in Maryland, thirteen-year-old Dominick Cebula was swimming in a designated area when a four-foot beaver surfaced and attacked him without provocation. The animal struck his chest and locked on, shaking its head with startling force, as his mother and younger brother watched helplessly from shore. Dominick managed to wrench the animal away, but it lunged again and bit his right hand before he could fully escape.
Paramedics airlifted him to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where doctors treated his wounds and began rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. The beaver was euthanized and tested positive for rabies. Surgeons later repaired a severed nerve in Dominick's finger during a procedure in early September. His mother expressed deep gratitude for the vaccine protocol. "Thank God for the vaccine," she told Fox News Digital.
His aunt, Leigh Cebula, emphasized the encounter's severity — the beaver was as large as Dominick's eight-year-old brother, and the family had swum there for years without ever seeing one. There had been no provocation of any kind.
The July 26 attack proved to be the first in a troubling series. On August 5, a nineteen-year-old fisherman was bitten at the same park. Weeks later, a ten-year-old girl was attacked while wading at Seneca Creek State Park. All three animals tested positive for rabies. Authorities closed swimming areas at both parks, and the rapid succession of incidents raised urgent questions about whether rabies surveillance in Maryland's recreational spaces is sufficient to protect the families who have long treated these parks as safe ground.
On a July afternoon at Cunningham Falls State Park in Frederick County, Maryland, a thirteen-year-old boy named Dominick Cebula was swimming in a designated area, watching fish underwater, when a four-foot-long beaver emerged from the deep water and attacked him without warning. The animal struck his chest and clamped down, shaking its head like a dog with prey. Dominick's mother and younger brother watched from shore as he fought to free himself, eventually managing to pull the beaver away. The animal lunged again, this time biting his right hand before he could fight it off a second time.
Paramedics airlifted Dominick to Johns Hopkins Hospital, concerned that his lung might have been punctured by the force of the attack. Doctors began treating his wounds immediately and started him on rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. The beaver was later euthanized and tested positive for rabies. Swimming access to Hunting Creek Lake at the park closed soon after.
Dominick's aunt, Leigh Cebula, described the animal in stark terms to underscore how unusual and severe the encounter was. The beaver was not small or timid, she explained—it was as large as Dominick's eight-year-old brother. There had been no provocation. The family had swum in that same area for years without incident and had never seen beavers there before. "He did not provoke it, poke it, or mess with it in any way," Leigh said. "This was completely unprovoked."
Dominick's father, Jeff, recounted the moment his son tried to escape. When Dominick grabbed the beaver's head and a leg to wrench it away, he felt the animal lock onto him, shaking its head with the force of a predator refusing to release its grip. The boy managed to back away with his hands raised after the first attack, only to have the beaver come at him again.
At Johns Hopkins, surgeons repaired a severed nerve in Dominick's finger during a procedure in early September. His mother, Alishia, told Fox News Digital that the experience had been deeply traumatic, though she expressed gratitude for the rabies vaccine protocol that likely saved her son's life. "He is doing much better," she said weeks after the surgery. "He had a lot of appointments, especially with the rabies vaccines he had to get. Thank God for the vaccine."
The July 26 attack was not an isolated incident. On August 5, a nineteen-year-old fisherman was bitten in the ankle by a beaver at the same park. Less than three weeks later, a ten-year-old girl was attacked while wading with an organized group at Seneca Creek State Park, also in the area. All three attacks involved rabid animals, and the incidents prompted authorities to close swimming areas at both parks. The cluster of attacks in such a short span raised questions about what had changed in the parks' wildlife populations and whether rabies surveillance protocols were adequate to protect visitors in areas long considered safe for recreation.
Notable Quotes
This 4-foot-long beaver came out of nowhere from the deep of the lake, beelined straight toward D, and began biting and attacking him. He did not provoke it, poke it, or mess with it in any way.— Leigh Cebula, Dominick's aunt
It was so traumatic. He was life-flighted to Johns Hopkins because the paramedics were worried his lung was punctured, luckily it wasn't.— Alishia Cebula, Dominick's mother
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