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Authorities in Washington state reported on Thursday that a young child is on the mend after being hurt by a river otter at a marina and dragged under the water.

The mother and youngster were strolling down a dock at Bremerton Marina in Kitsap County on Thursday morning, according to a news release from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The department did not identify the child or their mother.

The mother of the child claimed that the otter had dragged them underwater. After a short while, the boy came to the surface again, and the mother was able to intervene and rescue her son.

According to authorities, the otter attacked again after the mother saved the child. Sergeant Ken Balazs of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife stated that despite the child's "quick actions," she only suffered "minor injuries" from scratches and bites to the top of the head, face, and legs. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital.



The otter followed the family as they ran off along the dock, according to the agency. According to department officials, they have made contact with Wildlife Services of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to "trap and lethally remove" river otters from the marina. The Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab will assess and test the animals for rabies.

River otters are territorial and "like any wildlife, are inherently unpredictable," even though they are widespread throughout the state. According to officials, there have only been six recorded instances of humans and river otters coming together in the state over the previous ten years.

More serious injuries can arise from assaults by river otters. After being attacked by a river otter in Montana in 2023, a woman was taken to a nearby hospital. Medical attention was also required for two more women. Pets may also be at risk from river otters. In two different occurrences on the same day in September 2023 in Florida, otters bit a man and a dog, according to CBS News.

Three people were hurt in 2023 when an otter attacked them while they were on an inflatable boat in Montana, floating down a river. Numerous stitches were required to heal the wounds on one victim's face and torso from the "vicious and relentless" attack.

Shortly after 8 p.m. on August 2, Jen Royce and two friends were tubing on the Jefferson River when the otter attacked from behind."I didn't even get a chance to get the words, 'there is an otter behind you,' out of me before it attacked her," she posted on Facebook.