THEM. TWO OF THEM ALREADY HAVE NEW HOMES, A SACRAMENTO MAN SAYS. A BEAR CHARGED AT HIM ON THE 4TH OF JULY. IT WAS RIGHT OUTSIDE HIS LAKE TAHOE VACATION HOME. SO SCARY. THE ENTIRE THING WAS CAUGHT ON CAMERA. KCRA 3’S ANDRES VALLE SPOKE WITH HIM TONIGHT ABOUT THIS CLOSE ENCOUNTER AND JOINS US IN OUR NEWSROOM. SO, ANDRES, WHAT HAPPENED? YEAH, LET ME BREAK IT DOWN FOR YOU GUYS. SO CORTLAND LARA WYSS TOLD ME HIS DAUGHTER FIRST SPOTTED THE BEAR AFTER GOT INTO A GARBAGE CAN IN THE GARAGE. WHEN HE. THEN HE WENT TO CHECK INTO THE GARAGE WITH THAT BEAR SPRAY IN HAND. AND HE SAYS THE ANIMAL SUDDENLY RUSHED HIM. SO HERE’S THAT VIDEO HE SHARED WITH US TONIGHT. NOW WE’VE SLOWED DOWN THE VIDEO JUST A BIT FOR YOU TO SEE THE ENTIRE THING. BUT YOU CAN SEE CORTLAND WALK ONTO THE DRIVEWAY LOOKING AWAY FROM THE BEAR. THEN IN A SPLIT SECOND, CORTLAND SAYS HE HEARD THE BEAR RUSHING RIGHT AT HIM. ARMED WITH BEAR SPRAY IN HAND, THAT’S WHEN HE FIRED THE SPRAY, STOPPING THE BEAR. AND I JUST KIND OF CAUGHT SOMETHING OUT OF THE LEFT, MY LEFT EYE. AND IT WAS THE, YOU KNOW, THE BEAR RUSHING IN. AND WE WERE BOTH STARTLED. AND I JUST KIND OF SHOT THE SPRAY AND THE OVERSPRAY FROM THE, YOU KNOW, THE SHOT HIT ME AND HIT MY EYES. AND NOW CORTLAND SAYS BEARS ARE COMMON IN THE AREA AND OFTEN GET INTO CARS OR TRASH LOOKING FOR FOOD, BUT SAYS THIS KIND OF AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IS UNUSUAL. SO HE HOPES H
Sacramento man describes bear charging at him outside Lake Tahoe vacation home
Updated: 10:40 PM PDT Jul 8, 2026
A Sacramento man says a bear charged at him outside his Lake Tahoe vacation home on the Fourth of July, an incident that was captured on camera. Courtlandt Koerwitz said his daughter first spotted the bear after it got into a garbage can in the garage. When he went to check with bear spray in hand, the animal suddenly rushed at him. “I just kind of caught something out of my left eye, and it was the bear rushing in. We were both startled, and I just shot the spray. And the overspray from that, you know, the shot hit me and hit my eyes,” Koerwitz said. Koerwitz said bears are common in the area and often get into cars or trash looking for food, but he noted that this kind of aggressive behavior is unusual. He hopes his story reminds people to secure garbage, keep food out of cars, and stay alert. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
TAHOMA, Calif. —
A Sacramento man says a bear charged at him outside his Lake Tahoe vacation home on the Fourth of July, an incident that was captured on camera.
Courtlandt Koerwitz said his daughter first spotted the bear after it got into a garbage can in the garage. When he went to check with bear spray in hand, the animal suddenly rushed at him.
“I just kind of caught something out of my left eye, and it was the bear rushing in. We were both startled, and I just shot the spray. And the overspray from that, you know, the shot hit me and hit my eyes,” Koerwitz said.
Koerwitz said bears are common in the area and often get into cars or trash looking for food, but he noted that this kind of aggressive behavior is unusual.
He hopes his story reminds people to secure garbage, keep food out of cars, and stay alert.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel