River otter drags child off dock and underwater in rare attack at Washington marina

(CNN) — A kid was dragged disconnected a dock and underwater successful a uncommon onslaught by a stream otter astatine a marina successful Washington authorities connected Sept. 12, nan Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said.

The otter pulled nan young kid underwater pinch nan mother still connected nan dock astatine Bremerton Marina successful Kitsap County.

Moments later, nan otter resurfaced and nan mom rescued her kid retired of nan water. But nan animal continued to attack, biting nan mother’s arm, according to a news merchandise from nan food and wildlife agency.

The otter kept chasing nan family arsenic they tried to get disconnected nan dock. The kid was near pinch scratches and bites connected apical of their head, arsenic good arsenic connected their look and legs, and taken to a section infirmary to beryllium treated for nan injuries, which officials described arsenic minor.

Department of Fish and Wildlife Sergeant Ken Balazs praised “the mother’s speedy actions and child’s resiliency.”

The US Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services worked to trap and “lethally remove” immoderate stream otters from nan marina. One stream otter was trapped wherever nan attacked happened and transported to nan Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab to beryllium evaluated and tested for rabies.

River otters are comparatively communal passim Washington and tin beryllium recovered successful fresh, brackish aliases saltwater habitats, according to nan agency. “Although encounters pinch stream otters are rare, they tin beryllium territorial and, for illustration immoderate wildlife, are inherently unpredictable,” nan news merchandise warned.

There person been six documented human-river otter incidents successful Washington authorities successful nan past decade, according to wildlife officials.

Last year, 3 women were attacked by an otter while soul tubing down nan Jefferson River successful Montana. All 3 women received curen for their injuries. One of nan women had “more serious” injuries and was flown to a infirmary via helicopter.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All authorities reserved.