Otter Drags Child From Dock, Into Water in Washington

A walk down the dock at the Bremerton Marina in Washington state turned terrifying for a mother and child Thursday morning when a river otter appeared and dragged the child into the water. Otter and child went under, then resurfaced, at which point the woman was able to pull her child back onto the dock, Fox 13 Seattle reports. Even as the mom and child retreated, the animal continued to chase them, KIRO 7 reports. The otter bit the mom on the arm, and the child sustained scratches and bites to the face, legs, and top of the head, but both were expected to recover.

Tenants at the marina reported an otter infestation almost a year ago, noting that a boat docked there was "otter-infested and foul," according to the Kitsap Sun. The US Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services will assist the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to trap and remove the otters from the marina, and the animals will be euthanized and tested for diseases including rabies. "Let's face it, otters, they're small, they're cute, they're fuzzy critters and sometimes we forget that these cute animals are wild animals," a Fish and Wildlife spokesperson says. Over the past 10 years, there have been six other documented incidents between river otters and humans in the state. (More Washington state stories.)