One of three women who was brutally attacked by a river otter In Montana last week, she posted graphic photos of her injuries along with her account of the attack in Facebook. In a detailed August 4 post, Jane Royce tells the story of how she and two friends were attacked by wild otters while inner tubes on the Jefferson River, how they were rescued, and how she is recovering from the experience. Royce’s story can also be found at www GoFundMe pageCreated to cover a woman’s medical expenses from her injuries.
Royce also took the opportunity to set things right, saying that many social media users blamed her and the two other victims for provoking the Aug. 3 attack. She and her friends were in the middle of a wide stretch of river at the time, and weren’t trying to get close to the otters. “We didn’t even know otters/otters were there until we were attacked,” she writes.
It is unclear how many otters are involved. In her letter, Royce writes that “the otters attacked us” but she repeatedly refers to the attacking otter as “it”. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Explained In a press release Multiple foxes were observed, but only this one attacked the group. Regardless, Royce describes the otter that attacked her as “vicious and relentless”.
“He bit my face in several places, in my ears, arms, hands, legs, thighs, and ankles,” Royce wrote. “My friends would bite on their hands and on their bottoms.”
She says they all felt “helpless” as they treaded in the middle of the river. All of their pipes were blown, and she writes that every time she kicked an otter, it attacked her elsewhere. By the time Royce swam to shore, the three women had separated.
“I was on the south side of the river and crawled up the hill, one of my friends was on the north side by the railroad tracks, my other good friend was stuck on a rock still in the river, and he couldn’t get out because we didn’t know where the otter/otters went “.
One of the women managed to call 911, and they were rescued by first responders about an hour later. While Royce waited, she thought there was a real chance she would never get off the river.
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“I was covered in blood,” she writes, “and the blood kept flowing from my face and nose.” “It was cold. We were wet. It was dark… All we could do was scream and shout to each other.”
Fortunately, they all escaped the Jefferson River that night. Suffering the most severe of the three injuries, Royce was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Bozeman.
She writes, “I cannot begin to explain the tremendous relief and hysterical release of tears knowing we are not alone and will soon be on our way out of Hell.”
At the hospital, Royce received rabies vaccinations and the wounds on her face were washed with saline solution. Doctors sewed her ankle, leg, arms, hands and fingers. She also underwent surgery on her face and ears.
“I have more stitches in my body than I can count,” Royce writes. “Besides my face, I have piercings on my left ankle, both legs, the back of my right thigh, both arms, both hands, and all of my fingers. My left ear is split in half from top to bottom and secured with some sort of yellow bandage and stitches on both sides. But I’m lucky. I’m grateful, I’m alive.”
