River otter pulls child off dock and underwater in harrowing attack

A child walking down a dock with their mother was snatched by a river otter and pulled underwater in a harrowing encounter in Bremerton, Washington.

A moment later, when the child resurfaced, the mother grabbed the child and lifted them out of the water as the river otter continued to attack, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The frightening incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the Bremerton Marina, located west of Seattle.

The mother was bitten in the arm, and the child sustained scratches and bites to the top of the head, face and legs. The river otter continued to pursue them as they left the dock.

The child, whose name and gender were not released, was treated at St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale, the Kitsap Sun reported.

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

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services was called in by fish and wildlife officers to trap and lethally remove river otters from the marina. One river otter was trapped at the scene and was transported to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab for further evaluation, including testing for rabies.

More from the WDFW:

River otters (Lontra canadensis) are relatively common throughout Washington and can be found in fresh, brackish, or saltwater habitats. The species is mostly aquatic, though they can spend considerable time out of water. River otters are classified as a furbearer in Washington, meaning they are a game species that can be trapped. Although encounters with river otters are rare, they can be territorial and, like any wildlife, are inherently unpredictable.

There have been six documented human-river otter incidents in Washington in the last decade.

Heather Pugh, founder of the Bremerton Marina Tenants Group, told the Kitsap Sun that “The Bremerton Marina is located in the Puget Sound marine environment, and occasionally will see harbor seals, salmon, otters, and even Orca that have been in the waters nearby or adjacent to the marina.

“The natural wildlife often travel following the shoreline currents or seeking schools of small fish in the shallow waters. The marina has not experienced any incident like this with river otters.”