The Tseshaht First Nation on Vancouver Island has issued a warning to people planning to swim in the Somass River after a young boy was attacked by a river otter.
Len Watts is the 10-year-old's father; he said nobody in his family has ever heard of an aggressive otter in the river before this year.
"We always bring our kids swimming there," he said of the area on the west side of Port Alberni along Highway 4, at Riverbend Bridge.
While Watts and his family noticed a few small minks on the edge of the river, they didn't see the otter in the water until it was heading quickly towards his son.
"All of a sudden it popped up about, I don't know, 10 feet in front of him and then just looked at him," Watts explained. "Looked at him for a second and just went and tried to jump right on him."
Watts said his son tried to get away and fight the otter off by kicking and trying to swim away but it continued to attack.
"My son started screaming and kicking his feet back, trying to kick it away from him and punching it," he said. The otter then went under water and Watts said that's when it started attacking his son's leg. "Luckily it was low tide or it could have pulled him under."
He said the otter didn't stop until Watts ran into the water himself which is when the otter swam off.
There are otter holts, or dens dug into river banks, in the area and Watts thinks the otter that attacked his son was a mother.
"My grandfather built that spot for the family to swim and all my cousins, my oldest cousin is 70 something, they said they've never, ever heard of an otter (attack)," Watts said. "They've seen them come close, but never attack."
Watts said his son needed six stitches but luckily did not need a rabies shot. While he is doing okay and has talked about the otter being a vampire, Watts said his son won't be swimming there again soon.
