Mother saves child carried into water by otter

A rare but not unprecedented attack. A child was attacked by an otter in the Seattle area, United States, on Thursday, September 12, which dragged her into the water. According to the Associated Press, the incident took place in the morning, at the Bremerton marina.

The river otter grabbed the child, dragging him from one dock to another in the marina before bringing him into the water. The child was submerged for a few moments before resurfacing. His mother managed to pull him out of the water while the animal continued to bite and scratch him. As they left the dock, the animal gave chase before giving up.

Six attacks in ten years

The child was taken to hospital, suffering only “minor injuries due to the mother’s quick action and resilience,” said Sergeant Ken Balazs of the Fish and Wildlife Service.

After the attack, the service officers captured the animal and took it to a laboratory for testing, including for rabies. Results are expected early next week.

River louvres are numerous in this state of Washington, and attacks on humans are rare: six have been recorded in the last ten years. But these animals, very territorial, “like any other wild species, are unpredictable by nature.”

- BFMTV.com