Attacking otter drags child off dock and pulls them underwater, Washington officials say
An aggressive otter pulled a young child off a dock and dragged them underwater at a marina in Washington, officials said.
The attack happened at about 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 12 at the Bremerton Marina, the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife said in a news release.
A family was walking down the dock when the animal appeared and pulled the child underwater for a few moments, officials said.
The mom reached into the water to rescue her child and was bitten on the arm by the attacking otter, officials said.
She was able to get her child to safety, but the otter followed after the family as they left the dock, official said.
Officials said the child was taken to a hospital for bites and scratches to their head, face and legs.
“We are grateful the victim only sustained minor injuries, due to the mother’s quick actions and child’s resiliency,” WDFW Sgt. Ken Balazs said in a statement.
Details regarding the child’s age and sex were not released by officials.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services was contacted to trap and kill river otters at the marina.
The animals will then be taken to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab for testing, including rabies.
River otters can be unpredictable and territorial, officials said.
In the last 10 years, there have been six reports of “human-river otter incidents” in Washington, officials said.
Bremerton is about a 30-mile drive and ferry ride west from Seattle.
This story was originally published September 13, 2024 at 11:32 AM with the headline "Attacking otter drags child off dock and pulls them underwater, Washington officials say."
