River otter drags child underwater, attacks mother at marina

A young child is recovering after being dragged under the water and injured by a river otter at a marina, officials in Washington state said Thursday.

The child and their mother were walking down a dock on Thursday morning at Bremerton Marina in Kitsap County, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a news release . Neither the child nor their mother was identified by the department.

The otter pulled the child into the water and dragged them underwater, according to the child's mother.

After a few moments, the child resurfaced, and the mother was able to act quickly and pull the child out of the water.

While the mother rescued the child, the otter continued to attack, officials said. The child sustained scratches and bites to the top of the head, face and legs, the department said, but only sustained "minor injuries" because of the mother's "quick actions," according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife sergeant Ken Balazs. The child was treated at an area hospital.

As the pair fled down the dock, the otter pursued the family, the department said.

Officers from the department have contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services to "trap and lethally remove" river otters from the marina, officials said. The animals will be evaluated and tested for rabies at the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab, the department said.

River otters, which are common througout the state, are territorial and "like any wildlife, are inherently unpredictable," the department said. Encounters between humans and river otters are rare, officials said, with just six documented incidents between the two species recorded in the state in the past decade.

River otter attacks can result in more severe injuries. A woman in Montana was airlifted to an area hospital after being attacked by a river otter in 2023, CBS News previously reported . Two other women also needed medical treatment.

River otters can also pose a threat to pets. In Florida, otters bit a man and dog in separate incidents on the same day in September 2023, CBS News reported .