A 3-year-old child was attacked by a mountain lion in Lake Forest Monday and the animal was located and euthanized, the Orange County Fire Authority said.
The attack took place around 4:17 p.m. at Whiting Ranch Park, officials said.
A family of six was walking when the mountain lion came and grabbed the 3-year-old by the neck and dragged away, Tony Bommarito of the OCFA said.
The father in the family threw a backpack at the mountain lion, who dropped the boy and picked up the backpack before going up a tree, Bommarito said.
The Orange County Sheriff's Department evacuated the park, officials said.
The 3-year-old boy was in stable condition and taken to a nearby hospital, Bommarito said.
Around 5:45 p.m., fire officials said they euthanized the animal.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
The 3-year-old boy was released from the hospital Monday night, according to fire officials.
The same park witnessed two mountain lion attacks in 2004, but attacks are not a normal occurrence.
