Mountain lion dives into lake and swims away after startling OC couple in their home

MISSION VIEJO, Calif. (KABC) -- When Valerie Strowski and her husband heard a "thump" outside their bedroom window after 1 a.m., they feared the worst.

However, when the Mission Viejo couple looked for the source of the noise outside, they couldn't believe their eyes.

It was a mountain lion, standing on their dock overlooking Lake Mission Viejo. The surprising encounter was caught on camera.

Strowski says most animals in their neighborhood stay away from the water, but this mountain lion jumped in and swam across to the restaurants and condos across the lake.