Washington family receives $350,000 after a river otter dragged their toddler underwater and attacked the child’s mother

A river otter dragged a toddler into the water and bit his mother at Bremerton Marina in 2024. The family has now reached a $350,000 settlement with the Port of Bremerton. (representative image)

A Washington family has reached a $350,000 settlement after a rare river otter attack at Bremerton Marina left a toddler injured and the child’s mother bitten during the rescue. The case has now been dismissed, with the Port of Bremerton agreeing to settle without admitting fault, as reported by KOIN 6.What happened at the marina?According to reports from state wildlife officials, the incident happened on September 12, 2024, when a river otter grabbed the toddler and pulled the child off a dock and into the water. The child resurfaced moments later, and when the mother pulled the toddler out, the otter continued attacking and bit her arm.The toddler was treated at a hospital in Silverdale for scratches and bite wounds on the head, face, and legs. The lawsuit also said both the mother and child later underwent rabies shots.Why the lawsuit matteredThe family argued that otters had already been reported as a nuisance at the marina more than a year before the attack and claimed the Port of Bremerton failed to keep the area safe. The port rejected those claims, saying it had not received reports of aggressive otters and disputing that security around the docks was inadequate,as per KOIN 6.Under the settlement, 40% of the $350,000 is set aside for attorneys’ fees and related costs, while the family’s share will go into a trust and be paid through the port’s insurance company, reported USA Today.Why this attack stands outRiver otter attacks on humans are rare, which is part of why this case drew so much attention. Washington wildlife officials have said only a small number of human-river otter incidents have been documented in the state over the past decade.The setting also mattered: this was not a remote wildlife encounter but a developed marina, where people and animals came into close contact. Experts note that conflicts become more likely when human spaces overlap with wildlife habitat, as per a BBC Future report.What happened afterwardAfter the attack, state wildlife officers worked with U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to trap and remove otters from the marina. One otter was captured and later tested negative for rabies.The Port of Bremerton said the settlement was a compromise of disputed and uncertain claims and expressed sympathy for the family, calling it a very unfortunate accident.