First-hand Recount of Unprovoked Otter Attack on Jefferson River

Three women were injured by an otter Wednesday, August 2, 2023, about three miles upstream from Sappington Bridge. The women, who were floating the river on innertubes were approached and attacked; all three sustained injuries; Stephanie Johnson, of Bozeman, was life-flighted by helicopter to Bozeman Deaconess.

The attack was sudden and unprovoked; Jefferson County Sheriff Tom Grimsrud said he believed there may have been otter pups nearby the otter mother was protecting. All three injured women are local to Montana and familiar with the outdoors. Little did they know just how vicious otters can be - especially when attacking in deep water.

Johnson felt the first bite under the water, below her innertube, which was then popped by otter teeth. Within seconds she and her friends were fighting off bites, scratches, and attempts to pull them under the water. Johnson suffered multiple lacerations on her hands, arms, legs, and backside. Her thumb is shredded and she has stitches in multiple areas.

A recount of the events was made available to the Whitehall Ledger by one of the other women involved, who wished to remain unnamed.

“We were in the middle of the river at a wide stretch, not near the shore, and we didn’t even know the otter/otters were there until we were attacked.

“Around 8:15 PM the otters attacked us. It lasted maybe 5 minutes? I really cannot remember. We were in the middle of the river in a deep and wide stretch that went far back from the road and behind the mountains. I saw one otter right behind my friend before it attacked. I didn’t even have a chance to get the words “there is an otter behind you” out of me before it attacked her.

“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. My friends were bit on their hands and on their bottoms, and legs. One friend’s thumb was shredded and she has bite marks all over her body as well [Johnson].

“Being in the middle of the river meant I couldn’t reach the bottom with my feet, so I was trying to tread water while fending for my body. The water was definitely where they excelled in their attack and we were helpless. I tried to kick it away but I would just get attacked somewhere else. I tried to hold it back at one point by grabbing its arm to hold it away while trying to swim closer to shore. Once I had my feet under me I was able to fight back better and was eventually able to pull myself out of the river. It swam away after that.

“By the time I made it out my friends and I were separated. I was on the south side of the river and had crawled up the hill, one friend was out on the north side by the railroad tracks, and my other dear friend was stuck on a rock still in the river, not able to get out since we didn’t know where the otter/otters went.

“We had one phone between the three of us that miraculously made it to shore. In SOS mode my friend was able to contact 911. Because of our location, it proved difficult for them to ping her phone for Search and Rescue. It felt like it was taking forever for any help to arrive (turns out it was 53 minutes). I was covered in blood and it just kept pouring out from my face and nose. It was cold. We were wet. It was dark. We had no real “good” visual on each other due to distance. All we could do was scream and call out to one another. To anyone. But we were just so damn far away from anything.

“Eventually we saw red and blue lights driving down the canyon. There was no way they could see us from our location. My friend who was on the phone had to make the decision to leave us and run more than two miles to the road to try and get them. I know that was not an easy decision for her to make.”

FWP staff have posted signs at several fishing access sites in the area advising recreationists of otter activity. No further management action is planned at this time.

While attacks from otters are rare, otters can be protective of themselves and their young, especially at close distances. They give birth to their young in April and can later be seen with their young in the water during the summer. They may also be protective of food resources, especially when those resources are scarce. Otters are members of the weasel family.

FWP advises recreationists to keep a wide distance, giving all wildlife plenty of space. In drought conditions, low water levels can bring recreationists closer to water-dwelling wildlife. Being aware and keeping your distance can help avoid dangerous encounters. If you are attacked by an otter, fight back, get away and out of the water, and seek medical attention.

A GoFundMe for Johnson’s injuries has been established at bit.ly/3s6gxci.