River otter pulls child underwater in Washington

BREMERTON, Wash. (KPTV) – An otter dragged a small child into the water next to a river at a Kitsap County marina Thursday morning.

At around 9:30 a.m., officials with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife were notified of the incident after the child's mother called for help. She said the otter pulled her child underwater. The child then managed to resurface and the mother was able to pull him out of the water. However, she said the otter continued to attack and bite her. As the family ran away, they were chased by the otter.

The child had bite marks and scratches on his head, face and legs and was treated at a hospital in Silverdale.

Sergeant Ken Balazs said the mother did a great job saving her child.

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“We are grateful that the victim suffered only minor injuries,” Balazs said.

Following the attack, the WDFW, with assistance from the USDA, captured and killed river otters at the marina for testing, including for rabies.

River otters are native to Washington. Encounters with humans are rare, but six incidents have been reported in the state in the last decade. The animals can be territorial and display unpredictable behavior.

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