Boy mauled by rabid beaver while swimming in Maryland state park
Por Owen Scott — – World RSS Feed
Boy mauled by rabid beaver while swimming in Maryland state park
Dominick Cebula, 13, was looking for fish at Cunningham Falls State Park when he was set upon, his family said
Owen Scott Wednesday 16 September 2026 15:51 BST
- Bookmark
- Comments Go to comments
Bookmark popover
Removed from bookmarks
Close popover
open image in galleryYour support helps us to tell the story
Read more Support Now
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. Read more
A teenage boy was mauled by a rabid beaver while swimming on a family trip to a state park in Maryland.
Dominick Cebula, 13, was left needing multiple surgeries after the bloody attack at Cunningham Falls in Frederick County earlier this summer.
His aunt Leigh Cebula said in a GoFundMe campaign the teenager was underwater when his mother and younger brother spotted the approaching beaver.
The animal, which she described as being 4-foot-long, was not provoked by Dominick but still “beelined” straight towards him. Graphic photos shared on the fundraising page show deep cuts to his chest and both his hands.
“He grabbed its head and a leg, and he tried to get it off of him,” Dominick’s father Jeff Cebula told WUSA9. “At that point, he kind of felt that it was locked onto him. And then it started shaking its head, kind of like a dog would do.”
open image in galleryDuring the struggle, Dominick was eventually able to wrench the rabid animal from his chest.
Leigh says that her nephew was airlifted to Baltimore, amid concerns that he had a punctured lung. She credits his ability to fight off the beaver to him being an “amazing athlete” and “winning wrestler.”
Once at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Dominick started receiving post-exposure treatment for rabies. Rabies is fatal in 100 percent of cases if it infects the central nervous system and clinical symptoms appear, the World Health Organization says.
“It’s not just one shot,” his father told WUSA9. “It’s multiple shots around each bite site.”
open image in galleryJeff, whose family have been visiting the park for 30 years, said his son has needed three surgeries to repair nerve damage caused by the beaver.
Speaking to The Frederick News-Post, Dominick said one of his hands was “messed up” following the July 26 attack.
“I thought they were going to have to amputate my finger because the bite was down to the bone,” he said. The fundraising appeal to help with his recovery has so far raised more than $1,330 towards a $1,500 target.
Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources confirmed the beaver tested positive for rabies and it was euthanized a day after the incident. A second rabid beaver attack took place on a 19 year-old at Cunningham Falls on August 5, about two weeks later.
Water access at Hunting Lake Creek and other parts of the park was closed, reopening on August 24 after the department confirmed there was no further evidence of rabid beavers at the location.
More about
beaverRabiesMarylandUnited Statesanimal
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Most popular
Popular videos
Bulletin
Read next
Fonte: – World RSS Feed
