What began as a leisurely tubing journey on the Jefferson River took a nightmarish turn for Jen Royce and her two friends when they fell victim to a savage otter attack. The trio were left with numerous injuries, some graver than others, and needed immediate medical attention. Recounting the ordeal on Facebook, Royce described the otter as “relentless and savage”.
In a wide stretch of the river on the casual Wednesday evening, the otter suddenly appeared from nowhere and attacked one of them, according to Royce. “Before I even had a chance to warn her about the otter, it had already sprung onto her,” recalled Royce. The attack, lasting approximately five minutes, left her with countless stitches as the animal bit her face, arms, ears, hands, legs, and ankle brutally.
Attempting to protect her friends from the raging otter with kicks only prompted further assaults on her own body. The trio managed to reach the shore, following which the otter eventually retreated.
She revealed her fear of not surviving the otter's onslaught. “Truthfully, I was doubtful about making it out of the river alive,” Royce posted on her social media. She was also unsure about the fate of her friends but credited their survival to divine intervention.
In the remote corner of the southwestern Montana river where the attack took place, getting help proved to be a challenge as they only had one working phone. “I was soaked in my own blood. It was chilling. We were soaked. It was pitch dark,” Royce shared.
Almost an hour passed before they spotted the red and blue lights of the rescue team, yet the rescuers were still too far for them to make contact. The decision to have one of them run over two miles to lead the rescuers to them was tough, Royce recalled.
At that point, she was on the verge of passing out and she expressed her love to her friend and requested her to take care of her children if she didn't make it.
In an effort to stay conscious until help reached, she concentrated on counting backwards from 99 and stared at the weeds before her. On the arrival of the rescue team, Royce was overwhelmed with emotion. “I can’t express how it felt seeing those lights. I was hopeful again. They had found us. We weren't alone anymore.”
The local hospital was a helicopter ride away for Royce while the other two friends received initial treatment at the site before being transported later for further care. All three of them were given multiple doses of rabies vaccines along with other requisite treatments. Royce, especially, needed stitches in several places and facial and ear surgeries. A week post the event, she reported of her wounds healing well without any signs of infection.
Local wildlife departments have now set up warning signs about otter activities around popular fishing sites to prevent any future attacks. Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks department advised, "Otters can get defensive over their young and themselves, especially when they are too close. They bear their offspring in April and can be seen swimming around them in summer. They might also guard their food resources aggressively, especially during food shortages.”
