A trio of women tubing on a river in Montana was attacked by an otter and one woman had to be airlifted to a hospital due to the severity of her injuries.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks said that women were floating along on the Jefferson River around 8:15 p.m.Wednesday when they saw a couple of otters swimming near them.

At least one of the riverine mammals began attacking the women with teeth and claws, leading the injured women to exit the river and call for help. 

A helicopter airlifted the most injured of the three tubers to a hospital. An update on her condition was not provided.

Authorities noted that otter attacks are uncommon in the region.

“It’s just not something you run into very often. Bears do it, moose too and occasionally a deer, but otters? That’s not normal,” Jefferson County Undersheriff James Everett told the Associated Press.

Following the attack, signs were posted warning recreational river-goers to watch out for otters. The attack is believed to have been a defense mechanism and further measures against the otter will be taken.

Otters primarily eat fish and are taxonomically part of the mustelid family along with weasels, badgers and wolverines. The particular subspecies involved, the northern river otter, is known to get as heavy as 20 pounds and to grow up to 47 inches in length.

Otter young are born in April and are guarded closely by their parents as they grow during the summer. Otters are also protective of food, particularly in times of scarcity.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.