A Montana woman who was tubing down a river with friends survived an otter attack that left her with part of her ear and said she feared she wouldn’t survive.
Jen Royce was celebrating her birthday on the Jefferson River in Bozeman when she and her friends were devastated by an angry otter that stalked them.
“I didn’t even have a chance to get the words ‘there’s an otter chasing you’ out of me before he attacked her,” Royce, 37, wrote in a Facebook post describing the event.
The attack lasted about five minutes, according to the woman’s post, which shared photos of her face, partially torn earlobe, and bruised and abraded arms and legs.
“Without ANY exaggeration, God’s honest truth, I didn’t think I could make it out of that river,” Royce wrote, “I had no idea if my friends would make it. But by the grace of God we did.’
Jen Royce (pictured) and two of her friends were attacked by an otter on Aug. 2 while enjoying a day on Montana’s Jefferson River
The attack lasted about five minutes, according to the woman’s post, which shared photos of her face, partially torn earlobe, and bruised and abraded arms and legs.
Royce said the attack was horrific and they were unable to fight back due to the chaos of the situation and the depth of the water they were in.
‘We were powerless. I tried to kick it off, but I would just get attacked somewhere else. I tried to stop him at one point by grabbing his arm to keep him away as I tried to swim closer to shore,” Royce wrote.
The group was in the middle of the water near the Three Forks and the Lewis and Clark Caverns when the attack began just before dark.
“This thing was vicious and ruthless. It bit my face, both my ears, my arms, my hands, my legs, my thighs and my ankle in several places,” she wrote.
“My friends were bitten on the hands and buttocks. A friend’s thumb was shredded and she also had bite marks all over her body,” Royce wrote.
The group eventually managed to get away from the animal and then waited just over 50 minutes for help thanks to the iPhone’s SOS function.
Royce described the time waiting for paramedics as painful and scary. She said she felt weak and was terrified that if she closed her eyes she would die.
“I made the choice, knowing how much pain it would cause my girlfriend to tell her I loved her and ask her to watch over my children,” she said.
Royce’s injuries were severe and
Royce lost part of her right earlobe in the attack
The mother of three suffered stab wounds all over her body
Royce suffered massive scratches and bruises all over her body during the attack
After a friend ran about two miles to find the paramedics in the middle of the woods, the first responders finally came to the women’s aid.
Royce described the find as one of the most hopeful moments of her life.
“I can’t explain what it felt like to see those lights. I had hope again. They found us. THEY FOUND US. We were not alone anymore,” she wrote in her post.
Royce – who suffered the worst injuries of the group – was flown by helicopter to a local hospital while her two friends were treated at the scene.
All three women eventually received precautionary rabies treatments.
The Montana mother underwent surgery for her injuries and had part of her earlobe cut out. She is still recovering from stab wounds to her limbs.
Overall, she says she’s just thankful she’s still alive after a scary incident.
“I’m lucky, and I’m grateful, and I’m alive,” she added.
She has since shared an update on Facebook, thanking friends and strangers for supporting and supporting her and her loved ones during this time.
a GoFundMe started covering her medical expenses, has raised more than $7,000 of the $6,500 goal.
Royce in a photo update from over a week after the attack
The woman underwent surgery for her injuries and is recovering in the weeks that follow
These are the remnants of bandages used after one recovery, Royce wrote in a post
A GoFundMe started to cover her medical expenses raised more than $7,000 of the $6,500 goal
Since 1875, there have been fewer than 60 known or reported cases of otter attacks resulting in injuries or fatalities worldwide
Attacks like the one on the Montana mother-of-three and her friends are incredibly rare, according to biologists.
Since 1875, there have been fewer than 60 known or reported cases of otter attacks resulting in injury or death worldwide.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is now alerting visitors to the potential dangers.
“While otter attacks are rare, otters can protect themselves and their young, especially at close range,” Montana FWP said.
ZooMontana executive director Jeff Ewelt reiterated Montana FWP’s statement.
“In the wild, they are quite territorial animals, especially around their young and especially when resources are scarce,” Ewelt said.
He said that while the situation is rare, anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation should be prepared to fight back.
“Fighting back is the best option,” Ewelt said.
“Because they won’t give up on you, especially if you’re in the water, they’ll try to remove the threat,” the executive director continued.