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A longtime keeper at WildCat Haven Sanctuary near Sherwood, Oregon, was fatally mauled by two cougars while cleaning their enclosure alone on the evening of Nov. 9, 2013, according to authorities and later court filings.

Renee Radziwon-Chapman, 36, was found dead inside the enclosure after sanctuary owner Michael Tuller called 911. "I have a keeper at WildCat Haven that was attacked. I think she's dead but please hurry," Tuller told the dispatcher, according to the recording. He then said he was going down to try to pull her out. A dispatcher warned him, "I don't want you to get hurt."

The Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office found Radziwon-Chapman died of multiple bite wounds, the most severe to her head and neck. One of the cougars had blood on its nose when authorities arrived at the scene.

Radziwon-Chapman had worked at the sanctuary for eight years and was its lead keeper. Her family and investigators said she was working alone at the time of the attack, in violation of a rule requiring two staff members present during enclosure cleaning. According to a lawsuit later filed by her estate, she had texted co-owner Cheryl Tuller the day before the attack to raise concerns about working solo and was told she would not be left alone.

Oregon OSHA investigated and cited WildCat Haven for two safety violations, each carrying a $2,800 penalty, after finding the sanctuary routinely let keepers work alone despite its own two person rule. Investigators concluded the cougars had not been secured in a separate lockout cage before Radziwon-Chapman entered, which they identified as the primary cause of the attack. A separately cited, inadequate gate latch was found not to have contributed to her death. The sanctuary settled with the state in June 2014 for a total of $5,600.

In November 2014, Radziwon-Chapman's estate sued WildCat Haven and owners Michael and Cheryl Tuller in Multnomah County Circuit Court, seeking more than $6 million. The complaint alleged wrongful death, intentional misconduct and violations of the Oregon Safe Employment Act, and claimed Michael Tuller had directed her to work in the cages alone. Radziwon-Chapman was survived by her husband, Aaron Chapman, and their 5 month old daughter. Available public records do not show a final resolution of the civil suit.