Cougar dies after being sedated on the docks at Newport's Embarcadero Marina

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A cougar that was seen prowling the docks along Newport's Embarcadero Marina on Oct. 17 has died after it was sedated by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials.

ODFW spokesperson Beth Quillian told KOIN 6 News that the cougar jumped into the marina after it was hit with a dart. Authorities pulled the animal out of the water. However, they were unable to revive the animal.

"The cougar was darted by ODFW because of concerns that it would not safely make it out of the highly populated area," Quillian said. "The cougar jumped into the water and was quickly pulled out by ODFW with assistance from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Despite efforts to expel water from the animal by ODFW staff, the cougar took on too much water and did not survive."

The Newport Police Department shared several photos of the cougar cruising the docks earlier that morning. ODFW, Oregon State Police, Newport Police and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office all responded to assist with the attempted capture.

"It was ODFW’s intention to move the cougar out of town to a place where it could be safely released," Quillian said. "It’s unfortunate that the cougar did not survive, but tranquilizing wildlife in an uncontrolled environment comes with risk."