Maryland family discusses attack by rabid beaver on 13-year-old boy

<p>The family of a 13-year-old boy who was attacked by a rabid beaver in Maryland has spoken about the incident, describing the animal as a four-foot-long adult. The attack occurred on July 26 and was the first of three rabid beaver attacks that led to the closure of Cunningham Falls State Park in Frederick County, according to the family's GoFundMe page.</p><p>The boy, identified as Dominick Cebula, was swimming and observing fish underwater in a designated area when the beaver attacked him, as stated by the family in their online fundraiser.</p><p>Dominick's mother and younger brother witnessed the attack from the shore. His aunt, Leigh Cebula, described the beaver's sudden appearance and aggressive behavior, stating, "This 4-foot-long beaver came out of nowhere from the deep of the lake, beelined straight toward D, and began biting and attacking him." She emphasized that Dominick did not provoke the animal in any way.</p><p>Jeff Cebula, Dominick's father, recounted how he attempted to free his son from the beaver's grip, noting that it shook its head and refused to let go. Dominick managed to pull the beaver off his chest but was bitten again on his right hand when the animal lunged at him.</p><p>He was airlifted to Johns Hopkins Hospital for treatment of his injuries and rabies post-exposure treatment. His mother, Alishia Cebula, described the situation as traumatic, mentioning concerns that Dominick's lung might have been punctured, which fortunately was not the case. Dominick is now recovering after undergoing surgery earlier this month.</p><p>Alishia reported that he is doing much better and had surgery on September 4 to repair a severed nerve in his finger, along with multiple appointments for rabies vaccinations. She expressed gratitude for the vaccine and noted, "Luckily, we're getting to the end of this traumatic event."</p><p>Leigh Cebula pointed out that the incident occurred in an area where the family had swum for years without encountering beavers before. Following the attack, the beaver was euthanized and tested positive for rabies, leading to the closure of swimming access to Hunting Creek Lake at the park.</p><p>The attack on Dominick was the first in a series of three attacks at the park. On August 5, a 19-year-old fisherman was bitten in the ankle by a beaver, and less than three weeks later, a 10-year-old girl was attacked while wading with a group at Seneca Creek State Park.</p>