Family reaches $350,000 settlement after mother and child needed rabies shots from otter attack

A Washington family reached a $350,000 settlement after a 2024 river otter attack at a marina injured a toddler, and both the child and mother later underwent rabies shots, as KOIN 6 detailed.

What happened?

The family's lawsuit over the September 2024 attack at Bremerton Marina in Kitsap County has been dismissed under a settlement with the Port of Bremerton, the station reported. The deal does not include any admission of fault by the port.

The port said it had not received reports of aggressive otters and rejected claims that security around the docks was inadequate. The family's lawsuit, however, said otters had been reported as a nuisance at the marina more than a year before the attack and argued that the port's failure to keep the area safe amounted to gross negligence and breach of contract, according to KOIN 6.

State wildlife officials said the encounter began when an otter grabbed the toddler and pulled the child off a dock into the water. The child surfaced moments later, and as the mother pulled the toddler out, the otter kept attacking and bit her arm.

Under the settlement,  USA Today reported 40% of the $350,000 is designated for attorneys and related costs, while the family's share will be placed in a trust and paid by the port's insurance company. 

The lawsuit said both mother and child later underwent rabies shots, and the toddler was treated at a hospital in Silverdale for scratches and bites to the head, face, and legs.

Why does it matter?

River otter attacks on humans are rare. This one took place at a developed marina. According to the lawsuit, children who saw the attack were traumatized and continued to have nightmares afterward, per KOIN 6.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has said six human-river otter incidents have been documented in Washington over the past decade, according to USA Today. Officials have also noted that otters can be territorial and unpredictable.

Marinas, docks, and other built waterfront areas put people directly within animal territory, increasing the chances of conflict. As BBC Future detailed, attacks by wild animals can become more likely when human spaces and wildlife habitat overlap.

In this case, what is at issue is whether the Port of Bremerton had insufficient security, knew that the marina was an area of risk, and neglected to take action. The settlement ultimately leaves that claim unanswered.

What's being done?

Following the attack, USA Today reported state wildlife officers worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to trap and remove otters from the marina. 

One river otter was captured there and later tested negative for rabies at the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.

The settlement resolves the legal dispute, and the Port is hoping to put it behind them.

"The settlement agreement explicitly states that it is 'a compromise of disputed and uncertain claims,'" Rothlin told KOIN 6. "This was a very unfortunate accident, and our thoughts are with the family — it is difficult to imagine what they experienced."

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