A San Francisco woman says she nearly died after swallowing contaminated water from Lake Tahoe during a sewage spill that sent tens of thousands of gallons of raw waste into the lake last summer, according to a legal claim filed in Placer County.
Lauren Helwig, 24, a biotechnology master’s student at the University of San Francisco, alleges she contracted a life-threatening E. coli infection after wakeboarding and surfing near Carnelian Bay and Dollar Point from July 19 to 21, 2024.
The illness, known as Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome, caused kidney failure and left her hospitalized for weeks.
According to documents obtained by The Sacramento Bee, Helwig was placed on life support for several days and continues to suffer complications related to her kidneys.
“In the beginning, it was awful,” Helwig wrote in the filing. “I have been told they did not think I would live.”
Her mother, Vicki Helwig – an executive at Intel – said the ordeal caused severe emotional trauma and financial hardship, with medical expenses exceeding $2 million.
Crews respond to a sewage spill July 21, 2024, after a contractor working in Carnelian Bay hit the North Tahoe Public Utility District main sewer export pipeline, according to Placer County sheriff’s officials. (Placer County Sheriff)
The claim, filed July 2, 2025, accuses Placer County and the North Tahoe Public Utility District of failing to protect the public or adequately warn visitors about the contamination.
It alleges the agencies “should warn and actively protect the general public from known hazards and risks.” The filing says Lauren “has not and will not fully recover.”
State regulators say the sewage spill occurred on the evening of July 18, 2024, when a Caltrans subcontractor punctured a 24-inch sewer pipe owned by the utility district.
About 85,000 gallons of untreated waste spilled across Highway 28 and into Carnelian West Beach, prompting health warnings and beach closures the following day. The beach reopened nearly two weeks later, after bacteria levels returned to normal.
In August 2025, the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board approved an $850,000 settlement with Caltrans and the utility district for violating water-quality laws, though neither admitted wrongdoing.
“This settlement reinforces the importance of protecting Lake Tahoe – one of California’s most treasured resources – from sewage spills and all forms of contaminants,” said board executive officer Ben Letton.
The Helwigs were not included in that settlement.
Their claim were formally rejected by Placer County and the utility district in September, clearing the way for a possible lawsuit.
This article originally published at San Francisco woman nearly died after swallowing Lake Tahoe water, claim says.