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An Intel executive's daughter enjoyed a perfect July weekend in Lake Tahoe. Then she found herself on life support after swallowing a mouthful of its azure blue waters. Lauren Helwig, now 24, visited the breathtaking attraction from July 19 to July 21, 2024, with her family, wakeboarding and surfing near California's Carnelian Bay and Dollar Point. The fun soon turned to complete agony after Helwig, who was 22 at the time, started to experience intense abdominal pain that landed her in the hospital for weeks. Helwig's horrific ordeal has only recently emerged via a government tort claim, and she has now been exclusively identified by the Daily Mail. The claim, filed by Helwig and her mother Vicki Helwig on July 2, 2025, said the recent University of California, Santa Barbara graduate was diagnosed with Hemolytic-uremic syndrome 'caused by E coli O157:H7,' a strain of bacteria that causes serious intestinal infections. It wasn't until weeks after being hospitalized and losing her memory of the trip that Lauren heard of a massive sewage leak that she believes was the reason she landed in the hospital bed, according to her tort claim. The sewage dump occurred on the evening of July 18, 2024 after a California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) subcontractor punctured a 24-inch sewage pipe operated by the North Tahoe Public Utility District (NTPUD), according to the Lahontan Regional Water Board. The board, which is responsible for protecting water quality in the region, said waste then spilled across a parking lot and dumped into Lake Tahoe at Carnelian West Beach. The beach was then closed by authorities on July 19 and reopened on July 31 after bacteria levels returned to normal, per the North Tahoe Public Utility District. It is unclear exactly what time the water was blocked off, and exactly how the blockage was executed. The first public alert sent out about the spillage was posted online at 2 pm on July 19. Advisory notices were posted along lakeshore access points, and property owners in the vicinity were also notified. Prior to it closing, the lake was 'open to boaters, skiers, surfers and swimmers,' the tort said. It is not clear if the Helwigs knew about the closure, and an image of Helwig wakeboarding on July 21, 2024, was included in the filing. The family did not reply to the Daily Mail's request for comment. To this day, Helwig, who lives in a $1 million home in El Dorado Hills, has not fully recovered and might never be herself again, the claim stated. 'Lauren's recovery has been slow, and quite frankly, not guaranteed,' it read. 'She was hospitalized for weeks. She almost died. She has not and will not fully recover. 'She has incurred over $2 million in medical treatment and will continue to incur future medical treatment.' The document added that, 'Fortunately, due to her being a college athlete, she is strong and a fighter and did survive' - though, it said she is still in the 'process of regaining her memory.' Helwig's athletic profile page says she was a midfielder for UC Santa Barbara's women's soccer team. Her serious health conditions have not just caused her 'trauma, pain and suffering,' but also led her mother to experience 'negligent infliction of emotional distress,' the document read. The claim, which sought legal action against Placer County and other public agencies, said they 'should warn and actively protect the general public from known hazards and risks.' The Sacramento native allegedly suffered a slew of health complications, including renal failure, after contracting E coli from the sewage-infested water. E coli, also known as Escherichia coli, is a bacteria that lives in the intestines of healthy people and animals. It can cause a range of upsetting and potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal issues, including watery and sometimes bloody diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, low fever and fatigue. In some instances, it can destroy blood vessels in the kidneys, leading to kidney failure. Soon after the tort claim was sent to Place County officials, the board of supervisors rejected it during a meeting on August 5, 2025, Chris Gray-Garcia, Placer County public information manager told the Daily Mail. Meanwhile, a settlement was reached in regard to the sewage leak between the responsible entities, without an admission of liability or wrongdoing. The Helwigs were not involved in that settlement. In August of this year, the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board approved a $850,000 civil fine to be paid to the public utility district and Caltrans. Of that amount, $5,000 will be paid to the State Water Pollution Cleanup and Abatement Account, the Lahontan Regional Water Board said in a statement. The remaining $845,000 'will be permanently suspended upon completion of the Secline Beach Supplemental Environmental Project.' That project includes the construction of restrooms, formal picnic areas and more features at Secline Beach, which is located right by North Tahoe Beach. The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing or liability, according to legal documents reviewed by the Daily Mail. When contacted by the Daily Mail, a spokesperson with the North Tahoe Public Utility District said the agency 'does not comment on potential or pending claims against the District.' The Daily Mail also contacted the Helwigs legal team for comment, but has not heard back.
