PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A Washington mother is suing a Seattle-area port nearly a year after a river otter attacked her toddler.
The woman filed the complaint against the Port of Bremerton in Kitsap County Superior Court on July 25. Court records show that she and her daughter, who was 2 years old at the time of the attack, live on a sailboat in the port-operated Bremerton Marina.
The incident happened in September 2024. On Sept. 12, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) reported that an otter had pulled the child into the water as she walked along the dock with her mom.
The girl eventually resurfaced after being pulled underwater, according to the agency. WDFW said the otter bit the mother as she lifted her daughter from the water. The toddler was later treated at a hospital for scratches and bites on her head, face and legs.
The mother also claimed they had to receive rabies vaccinations and that her daughter still faces “nightmares and behavioral aggression.”
The complaint alleges many of the on-site security cameras “are inoperative at any given time,” while the plaintiff pays the port a monthly service fee of about $125.
“Prior to the attack, the Port of Bremerton had actual and repeated notice of otter activity on and around E Dock and had received complaints about their aggressive nature,” Attorney Christopher Froines wrote. “Tenants and staff had lodged multiple complaints with the Port about aggressive otter behavior, including otters defecating on docks, damaging marina property, living on several abandoned or derelict boats, being aggressive toward marina tenants and posing a risk to public safety.”
Froines also alleged another resident of the Bremerton Marina repeatedly complained to staff about related issues, such as an “otter-infested and foul” boat and otters that created safety hazards by “dragging ‘fish guts and feces all over the docks.’”
The lawsuit accuses management of failing to minimize “wild animal activity.” Defendants are being sued for negligence, gross negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress, among other claims.
Officials said there have been six recorded human-river otter incidents in the past decade, according to Nexstar’s KOIN.
KOIN has reached out to the port for comment.
