Brothers tried to fight off mountain lion during fatal attack in Northern California, family says
GEORGETOWN, Calif. (AP) — Two brothers who were attacked, one fatally, by a mountain lion in Northern California over the weekend tried to scare the cougar away once they realized it was stalking them, and then fought with the animal after it pounced, according to a family statement Monday.
Taylen Robert Claude Brooks, 21, was killed Saturday in a remote area northeast of Sacramento in the first fatal encounter with a mountain lion in the state in two decades. His 18-year-old brother, Wyatt Jay Charles Brooks, survived and is expected to recover after multiple surgeries.
“We are all devastated by the tragic loss of Taylen yet thankful Wyatt is still with us and are well-aware the outcome could have been even worse,” the family statement said. “These two young men being as close as any two brothers could be, lived a full energetic life enjoying the outdoors.”
The brothers from rural Mount Aukum were hunting for shed antlers Saturday afternoon near Georgetown, a historic town about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of the state capital. They had hunted and fished together almost daily.
They were walking along the edge of a dirt road around 1 p.m. when they noticed the mountain lion. As they were taught, the brothers raised their hands in the air to appear larger, shouted and threw a backpack at the lion in an attempt to scare it away, the family statement said.
Instead of retreating, the cougar charged and took the younger brother to the ground by his face.
“While Taylen beat on and yelled at the lion, Wyatt was able to wrestle the lion to the ground with him on top of the lion. The lion began clawing at Wyatt’s midsection causing Wyatt to release his grip. At that point, the lion released Wyatt, got up and charged Taylen, biting Taylen in the throat and taking Taylen to the ground,” the statement said.
His face severely lacerated, Wyatt Brooks continued to beat on the big cat in a futile attempt to get it to release his brother. Eventually he ran back toward their car to find cell service and call 911.
Taylen Brooks died at the scene. His brother is home recuperating after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his face and neck, the family said.
California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife said its wardens found the cougar and euthanized it. Mountain lions have attacked humans previously, but the last fatal encounter was in 2004 in Orange County, according to a verified list kept by the agency.
Last month, a woman in Washington state was riding her bike on a trail with a group of friends when she was attacked by a mountain lion. The woman and her friends were able to fight the animal off, but she suffered injuries to her face and neck.
Taylen Brooks worked with his father, Aaron, painting houses and cutting firewood. A talented guitar player, he also enjoyed fishing and was remembered as a “very kind and gentle soul.”
LOS ANGELES ( AP) — Thousands of Southern California hospitality workers overwhelmingly ratified a new contract with 34 hotels after repeated strikes since the summer, their union announced Monday.
Workers won higher pay, increased employer contributions to pensions, and fair workload guarantees among other provisions of a contract that received 98% approval, Unite Here Local 11 said in a summary of highlights of the pact which runs until Jan. 15, 2028. The union has yet to reach settlements with 30 other hotels.
Room attendants, cooks and other non- tipped workers will receive wage hikes of $10 an hour over the term of the contract, representing a 40% to 50% increase, the union said. Half of the increase will come in the first year.
Room attendants at most hotels will earn $35 an hour by July 2027 and top cooks will earn $ 41 an hour, the union said. Tipped workers will see such improvements as double-time pay for holidays, vacation, sick days and increased shares of service charges. Automatic 20% gratuities at full-service restaurants will be 100% shared by staff.
The union also stressed that the contract maintains health insurance in which workers pay no more than $20 monthly for full family coverage.
“We have won a life-changing contract that transforms hotel jobs from low-wage service work to middle-class professional positions,” Kurt Petersen, co-president of Local 11, told workers at a rally outside a downtown Los Angeles hotel.
The coalition of hotels involved in talks with the union welcomed the deal.
“The ratification votes are a long time coming. We’re glad that hotel employees who have been waiting months now can enjoy the benefits of new contracts, including increased compensation, and continue the great work they do for our guests and our communities,” said Pete Hillan, a spokesperson for the California Hotel & Lodging Association.
Characterizing their demands as a fight for wages that will allow members to live in the cities where they work, more than 10,000 employees in greater Los Angeles began rolling strikes at 52 hotels in July 2023. Workers repeatedly went on strike, picketed and later returned to work. The union represents 15,000 workers but staff at some hotels have not engaged in strikes.
The union scored a major achievement just before the wave of strikes when a tentative agreement was reached with its biggest employer, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in downtown Los Angeles, which has more than 600 union workers. Other hotels gradually came to terms with the strike actions.
Petersen also pointed out that the new contract expires just months before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“We’re demanding a new deal for the Olympics that includes family-sustaining jobs and affordable housing for workers. And let me say, if they do not give us that new deal, are we ready to do what it takes?” he said to cheers from workers.