Skip to Content

A river otter attacks a child at a Seattle-area marina

KTVZ

BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) — A river otter attacked a child at a Seattle-area marina, dragging the youngster from a dock and into the water before the mother rescued her child, wildlife officials said.

The child was pulled underwater and resurfaced after a few moments during the encounter Thursday at 9:30 a.m. at the Bremerton Marina in Kitsap County, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officers said in a news release.

The otter continued to bite and scratch as the mother pulled the child out of the water. The animal chased them as they left the dock, wildlife officials said. The child was treated at a hospital.

“We are grateful the victim only sustained minor injuries, due to the mother’s quick actions and child’s resiliency,” Fish and Wildlife Sgt. Ken Balazs said. “We would also like to thank the Port of Bremerton for their quick coordination and communication to their marina tenants.”

Officers trapped the otter and took it to a disease diagnostic lab for testing, including for rabies, the release said. The agency said on Saturday that they may have disease testing result as early as next Tuesday.

River otters are common throughout Washington and can be found in fresh and saltwater habitats, officials said. Encounters with humans are rare, with six occurring in the past decade, they said. River otters can be territorial and “like any wildlife, are inherently unpredictable,” officials said.

Article Topic Follows: AP National News

Jump to comments ↓

Associated Press

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KTVZ NewsChannel 21 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content