When Jefferson County Undersheriff James Everett woke up Aug. 2 he could not have imagined the 911 call that would be dialed later that evening – or the media firestorm that would follow.
According to Everett – and a “tell-all“ Facebook post by Jen Royce, one of the victims – at around 8:15 p.m. a group of three women were attacked by at least one otter while floating the Jefferson River.
Royce is unsure how long the assault lasted, but what is sure is that the seemingly adorable amphibious mammals are what they have always been – wild. However, Royce asserts that the group did not incite the attack.
“People who don’t know or care have made this an incident of us trying to take selfies with these creatures or like we were trying to get too close to them. We did NOT do that,” reads Royce’s social media post.
Royce describes the scene as the otter swam up behind the group and ambushed one of the other women before moving on to the others. Royce’s injuries were so severe that she was ultimately life flighted to the Bozeman Deaconess where she underwent surgery and receivedhundreds of stitches. The other two victims suffered superficial wounds.
“This thing was vicious and relentless. It bit my face in several places, both of my ears, [my] arms, my hands, my legs, my thighs, and my ankle.”
Fortunately, all three women managed to escape the river and were treated for their wounds and are now on the road to recovery.
Bill Dawson, the game warden for southern Jefferson County – who was a late responder on Aug. 2 – said there were many called out to the scene, including trooper Barb Armstrong of Cardwell. According to Dawson, she and local landowner Doug Russ swam across the river to rescue Royce.
Dawson said otter attacks aren’t common, however, there have been otter attacks in the Big Hole, the Madison River and Jefferson River. Just last summer, he said, an otter popped an innertube.
Common, Dawson added, is a relative term.
According to a report by the Canadian Medical Association Journal, there were only 44 published cases of otter attacks worldwide from 1875-2016. However, a Google search on the topic will yield dozens of results – primarily in Florida. There are other documented cases in Montana, as well. According to the Washington Post, in 2021 a 12-year-old boy in an inner tube was attacked by an otter on the Big Hole River. He sustained minor injuries.
The admittedly unusual call was a first for Everett, and it caught the attention of the national media.
“Within 48 hours we were receiving emails from Fox, CNN and other major news outlets,” Everett told the Monitor.
According to Everett, Sheriff Tom Grimsrud and himself have had to work in tandem to manage the volume of interview requests. Everett said that everyone has been respectful of the victims and the limitations of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office as it relates to sharing information about the incident.
Articles have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Associated Press and dozens of other media sources.
