River otters attack 3 women on inner tubes in Montana, 1 flown to hospital

Three women were attacked by a river otter on Wednesday, in a surprising assault which was so brutal, one woman had to be airlifted to the hospital.

The incident occurred as the women floated on inner tubes down the Jefferson River in southern Montana, a tributary known for being popular among anglers and recreational swimmers.

At approximately 8:15 p.m., at least one otter swam up and began to attack the women, officials said. The victims were ultimately able to swim to shore, where one of them called 911.

Jefferson County Undersheriff James Everett said one woman sustained injuries to her face and arms which were severe enough to necessitate airlifting her to a hospital. As of Thursday, her condition remained unknown.

Another woman involved claimed to have seen two otters swim up to them, but the exact number involved in the attack is unclear.

Authorities stated that no attempts will be made to capture or remove any of the otters, as it’s believed to have been a defensive attack.

“It’s just not something you run into very often,” said Everett. “Bears do it, moose too and occasionally a deer, but otters? That’s not normal.”

Northern river otters can weigh up to 20 pounds and measure up to 47 inches long. They typically consume fish and can use their teeth and claws to scratch and bite, explained said Morgan Jacobsen with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks.

“If folks are attacked by an otter, our recommended response is to fight back, get away and get out of the water,” he added.

This incident marks a rare occurrence as river otter attacks are infrequent. Two years ago, a 12-year-old boy was attacked while on an inner tube in Montana’s Big Hole River, but was not seriously injured.

A month ago, reports were spreading of a sea otter that was aggressively trying to steal surfboards from surfers off the coast of Santa Cruz.

With News Wire Services