Sort of start at the beginning because I know this is a
obviously a very traumatic situation for you.
You know, it was somebody's birthday, I think, right?
You guys were all in Montana kind of just for the weekend,
right? Is that how this went down?
We we live here, so it's a just a pastime for us.
Oh, OK, so this isn't, was this the first time you guys were on
a river tubing and kind of doing this thing?
The first time on the Jefferson River we normally go on the
Madison, which there are two rivers pretty close together.
It was my second time, sorry, it was my second time and within
like a two week period. So it was a nice quiet river and
I thought it would be a nice New River for them to try.
And that didn't turn out to be the greatest idea.
So whose birthday was it? Jen.
Your birthday. OK, so start from the beginning.
So we decided to go to the Jefferson River like Lila said,
just it was a New River. People float it all the time.
We just had not personally done it yet.
Stephanie and I Leela had floated like what, the week
before I think Leela and had no issues.
Cool, cool spot, less people. So we we just decided to go
there after work and do just an afternoon celebration float for
my birthday. This was in August, August 2nd
and you know, middle of the summer it was, you know, as it
stays light until like 10:00 here.
So we didn't think too much about floating.
You know, after work getting out there, I think we started like
around 5:30 or 6:00. So we started floating and gosh
girls, I think it was like what 2 hours in?
I think it started, it was kind of overcast that day, so it was
cloudy and a little bit darker than normal just because all the
clouds. But we were just floating.
No one else was out there, which was kind of weird.
Like it was kind of a weird ominous kind of feeling.
So we were like, oh, you know, we might end up getting out of
the river a little bit later than planned, but we just
decided to go for it anyways. So we were floating down and
Lela and I were sharing a tube that we're kind of like we were
facing opposite each other, but so we could like look at each
other to talk. And then Stephanie was in a tube
tied on to us, just right, right next to us.
And we were just talking and hanging out.
And then I remember kind of looking over Stephanie's
shoulder and seeing this creature in the water.
And I don't have my glasses on. And if I don't have my glasses,
I can't see distance. So I was I was like, whoa, is
that an Otter? That's I was thinking that super
crazy because otters at the time were like my favorite animal.
Not anymore, but they were. So I thought it was cool.
And before I could even like get the words out of my mouth that
there was an Otter behind Stephanie I believe.
And it all happened so fast. So girls jump in and correct me
if I'm wrong, but I think one came up from underneath and
actually bit Stephanie kind of like on the lower back area.
And when that happened it was just kind of chaos because no
one knew what had happened, why she was screaming.
I mean I saw the 1 Otter out in the water but I didn't see any
others. I had no indication there is
anything else. So it had popped her tube I
think at the same time, right stuff.
And then when that happened, I mean, you get that reflex where
you're like trying to push your body away from danger.
And when I did that, I went on the edge of the tube and I just
felt back like backwards head first into the water.
And from the moment I was in the water, something was like biting
me or scratching me. It was just like under the
water. There was something up like at
my face. I remember I could see it kind
of like, I don't almost like a snake would like strike, but it
was the Otter and it was like it would just strike at me and it
would like bit my cheek. And I remember thinking, wow,
that that really sucks. Like that's not going to look
good. That's that really hurts.
And then I remember it bit the other side and all at the same
time. It's like pushing with its
little claws, like on your shoulders, like trying to drown
me in the water. And I remember like breathing in
water and just getting really scared and thinking like, you
know, I couldn't touch. I'm not a great swimmer, but
when I was doing that, I just thought of my kids and I was
thinking it was almost a prideful thing, honestly.
Like I, I didn't want my kids to hear that their mom like drowned
in a river by an Otter because that sounds really stupid.
I just, I didn't want them to to find that out.
And so I just got really mad, tried to fight back, but every
time I would try and kick or punch, it would just bite me in
that same extremity. That was like trying to defend
myself. And so eventually I just thought
if I can hold it away from my body, it'll stop.
I was just thinking about my face, like I was thinking
protecting my face because I had already taken two really big
bites to my cheeks at that point.
So I kind of like grabbed it at the shoulder joint and I just
thought if I can straight arm it far enough, like it, it'll bite
my arms, but it won't bite my face anymore.
And so while I did that, I was able to use my one free arm and
kind of like back swim towards the shore.
And I had no direct, I had no direction about me.
Like I didn't know what like where they my friends were, what
side of the river I was on because I've been under the
water. So when you come up it's it was
just total chaos. But I was able to get to the
shore. And once I did, I was kind of on
my hands and knees trying to crawl up the bank.
And Stephanie and and she'll share this too.
But she she told me she saw it was like hooked into my head
behind me with its claws. And she said when I was standing
up out of the water, it was still like down to my waist.
The thing was still like not fully out of the water yet.
Like this was a huge Otter. And I just remember, like,
yelling at it at that point. And I think it just like swam
away. I never saw it again after that.
And so I was, I was just trying to crawl up the Bank of the
river. I mean it was pretty high, like
trying to just crawl up and away from the water as fast as
possible. Was it just the 1 Otter?
We don't know. We're we're not sure.
I mean, the extent of our injuries.
Like I had one with me the entire time, but Stephanie had
multiple bites on her, Leela had scratches and bites on her.
So I don't know how in that time that could have just been the
one. But we we don't fully know
because it was just chaos. But what do you think spooked
this thing? I mean, it had to be more than
one, right? Because it was like a mom
protecting its. Yeah, I guess that's been a
couple of things that we've heard is maybe it had pups
nearby and it was protecting them.
And some of the research that I I've done is that's the time of
year where they'd have their babies out and they're like
teaching them how to swim. So there's a chance it was very
protective, you know, kind of maternal instinct.
It could have been bachelor groups, a bunch of aggressive
male otters together defending their territory.
It could have been like a really rich food source, like a lot of
fish nearby. And it thought that we were a
threat. Or there's a chance that they
were rabid. We don't know.
Oh. My gosh.
So what were the other two? What were you doing?
Stephanie and Leela, what were you guys doing?
Stephanie. Yeah, I can go.
I think, like Jen said, initially it was fairly chaotic.
We're just floating. And I felt something bite me
underneath the water. And I kind of like, screamed.
And I was like, what could that have been?
Like, you know, we're used to floating and floating over sharp
rocks, and that hurts. But this felt very different.
And I knew something had bit me. And so I kind of screamed.
And about that time, I see Jen looking over to the right side
of me. And by the time I can turn my
head to see what it is, it barely registers.
I know it's something in the water, but I'm like, you know,
I'm kind of playing in my mind. What is it?
What is it?
Because it's not making sense to me.
And then about that time when Jen and I are both realizing
that isn't, you know, something there, it just kind of comes
after me and it pops my tube and I go into the water.
And that's when I'm just kind of fighting with it.
You know, I got some scratches and some bites and all this time
it, the water is really deep where we were at.
And so I couldn't touch. And so I thought, you know, if I
could just get to the bottom and kind of push back up, I might be
able to fight it off. And of course, you like to think
that you're going to handle things differently when you get
to a situation like this, but you don't really know until you
get there. And in that initial moment, I
panicked, and I was just kind of like flailing my arms.
And there was no real strategy, right?
Like I was just trying to get away from this thing.
And then that's when I thought, OK, you need to think of
something to do here, try and touch the bottom.
So it's trying to get to the bottom to come back up and push
it off of me. And about that time it
disappears. Like it, it leaves me alone.
So I'm able to kind of come up for air.
And I'm pretty sure I told the girls I was like, I came up out
of the water and I was like hell, like I because I wasn't
really understanding what was happening.
I knew I was being attacked, but it just didn't make any sense.
And about that time is when Jen leans back kind of in her tube
away, and that's when she ends up falling over.
And so she and I are both in the water and it's chaotic.
We're just screaming and trying to get away.
So. You're out of your tubes at this
point. Yes.
And so we're in the water and I can feel, you know, something at
my feet. And so I'm like, Oh my gosh,
here we go again. So I'm just like kicking my
feet, trying to figure out where I'm going to go.
And the whole time I can see Jen swimming in the opposite
direction trying to get away. And finally I find a rock in the
middle of the river, and I just get on it.
I just climbed up on it and stood there so that I could see
what was around me. And then at this point, we're
just watching Jen trying to get across the to the other side of
the river and she's just being attacked and there was nothing
so. You guys have a van.
Both of you are safely out of the water at this point, Yes.
And then you've got, like, this vantage point of your friend
being attacked. Yeah.
How long did it take for her to get from that point to the point
where she was out of the water? A good couple minutes for sure.
Minutes. It felt like it.
It felt like forever because we were just kind of watching and
saying, yeah, I'm kind of screaming at her, which doesn't
help, but screaming at Jen, Jen, Jen got the water it.
Actually, it actually did help because I could hear them and I
knew it was bad and I knew they were there and it did make me
want to fight harder. So it it did help.
Might not feel like it didn't, but it did.
That was terrifying. There was, once I turned around,
there was an Otter just swimming right after her and I was there.
No, there's nothing that we could do.
We're on the other side. So it's kind of feel helpless at
that point in time. When you guys are all out of the
river, are you on opposite sides of the river?
Are you all? Did you all make it to the same
side? Stephanie and I made it to the
same side. I made it out of the water and
on top of where the train tracks were and then Jen was on the
total opposite. Oh my gosh.
Yeah. Did you guys have on a rock?
Yeah. You were in the water, on a
rock, kind of in the river somewhere.
Yeah. Oh my gosh, did you have cell
service? The only person that brought a
phone was me because we didn't think we're going to need a
phone really. So I had my phone and my keys
and a dry bag and luckily I stopped taking pictures when I
did because my phone was all pretty much dead by the time 911
had got in there. I was on the phone with them for
about 53 minutes. OK, so you had a cell signal to
be able? To make it was I had to do SOS.
It was satellite. OK.
Oh, really? OK, so you had a iPhone and you
did the SOS thing. Yeah.
Wow, What? What do you what do you think
would have happened if that wasn't available?
I probably, yeah, I probably would have ran to the campsite
down the way it was right by this place called Lewis and
Clark Caverns. Can't say how far away that
would have been, a couple miles or so.
So probably try to find some people there camping that maybe
they could help drive me to wherever I needed to go to get
help. There was also a bar further
down the road, a bar restaurant that I could have went to, but
again, like another at least 10 miles down the road.
So Oh my. Gosh, was this really remote
where you guys were at for the most part?
Yes, yeah, yeah. How, how, how, how far had you
guys been floating, do you know? I think it was about 3 miles, 3
1/2 miles. And.
And the whole float I think was about 7.
Were you part? This wasn't, this was like on
your own, right? This wasn't a part of a larger
group. This was just you guys deciding
to go to go float down the river kind of thing, right?
Right. Yeah.
Oh my gosh, so. Yeah, normally you park it like
where you put in and then you have another vehicle and you
park where you get out and then you kind of just shuttle each
other back and forth. So that's something like the
Madison River here is the more popular one, but that's where
everyone goes. There's a lot of drunk driving
and like, kind of obnoxious, you know, younger people.
And so we didn't want that. We just wanted it to be kind of
like a mature lady hangout, safe driving, yeah.
Got you. So, Stephanie, you're at this
rock. You're on this rock.
Tell me what's happening, what you're seeing.
Well, all my attention is focused on Jen as she's trying
to get across the river and out, and the whole time she's just
being attacked so you can see everything that's happening.
Like literally when this thing is biting her, you can see the
blood just coming off of her face or or wherever it's biting
her. And honestly I was just
screaming like I didn't know what else to do.
And it towards the end where she was getting close to the shore
or the bank, she had turned her back.
She had her back to it. And that's when I could see that
the Otter had literally come up out of the water and put its
claws right into the back of her head.
And you could see that so, so vividly.
And I remember thinking, Oh my gosh, like, like, is this going
to take her completely down because she was so close?
And you could see it when it because it came out of the water
and you could see, you know, it brought its, its little big
claws. And you could still and Jen, at
this point, she's probably out of the water about up to her
waist. And you could still you could
see maybe the base of its tail. So it was really long, at least
the width of her or the length of her body.
And then maybe the IT looked like the base of the tail.
And so I remember thinking, gosh, this thing is huge.
And about that time, she kind of, yeah, I think, Jenna, you
have to correct me. I don't know if this is when you
turned around and tried to hold it.
At some point, somewhere in there that happens and you kind
of fall back. But at that point it just swims
off. And that's when I, I, it was
like I, it's a little fuzzy at that point, but I feel like it
was, it almost had kind of gotten under me or to the side
of me or I don't know. And I just, I yelled at it like
really loud and then I just remember it disappearing.
I don't, I don't know. Were you able to like kick or
hit it at all? No, no, not at that point.
Well, maybe I don't know, like my hair was all in front of my
face. So I that's why I kind of don't
remember how things look because it was just such a disheveled
mess and I had just blood everywhere.
So my vision wasn't like super great.
I might have tried to hit. I honestly don't.
I don't remember. Oh my gosh, have you guys seen
otters before? Not.
In the. Yeah, not in the wild.
In the zoo, yeah. Really.
So they're not like common there at all, I mean.
They are, but normally like during the day you don't really
see them as much, but we were, you know, it was eat getting
evening kind of dust. So I guess they're more of a
nocturnal type animal. So I think that's why they were
there. But normally I think they just
kind of stay in their dens during the day.
OK, So no, haven't really seen one in in the wild before.
Maybe once a major boat going down the river, but.
So now you're out of the water. Obviously you guys are on
different, different locations. What?
What's happening next? I remember I got up to the top
and I just remember like trying to yell back to that because
this was a really wide stretch of river too.
It wasn't like we were. We could just like easily cross
it to each other. It was pretty wide.
And I just remember yelling, this is where you're gonna have
to bleep. I remember saying I'm so dub,
I'm so dub. This is this is bad.
Like this is really bad. And they're like trying to call
911. And I remember Leela, you know,
like I knew that we couldn't, we had SOS and we didn't have
service. And I knew that was bad.
And and worrisome and I remember when she managed to connect, it
seemed like there was an issue with them even being able to
kind of ping our location to even know where to send people.
So then I was hearing that and like thinking this really sucks.
And I just remember Leela saying you need to send a plane, you
need to send a boat, you need to send a hell, like everything.
She was like, you need to get here now.
And that was really awesome. But it was it was really
terrifying being on the one side and the state that I was and no
one being with me and knowing that my my friends, my safety,
the road, the road even that someone would have to come in to
get me was on their side. And I'm like out in the.
The wilderness with tumbleweeds and rocks and no roads to come
to me. And that was really, like,
awful. So you're what?
How did they? How did they get to you?
How long did it take? So I was, I was on the phone
with dispatch for 53 minutes before anybody could get to us.
I also had to run probably maybe a mile, 2 miles down the train
tracks just because there was a huge mound where we were at and
so people from the road definitely could not see us.
So I had turned my camera light on and was kind of doing this
number and jumping up and down screaming for help because I can
see the ambulance driving by a couple different times.
But nobody could figure out, I don't think they could figure
out how to get to us because it was on like private property and
there was no like roads down there.
You kind of just had to do your own 4 wheel and to get down
there. So that was a lot more
difficult. And then of course, I was the
first person that they reached and I sent them down on down to
Stephanie and they actually had to swim across the river to get
to Jen and then be able to land Life Flight when they got there
as well. So it was kind of quite the
process. I don't think we think you got
out of there till what, 94510 o'clock?
What's the time frame? How many hours is that from the
from when it happened? So I think it was like 8.
There's about an hour and 15 minutes I think after, after the
attack happened. So when Leila was on the phone,
she was also throwing rocks into the river to try and cuz
Stephanie's still out on this rock, this, this famous rock.
Now she's standing out there and Leila's throwing rocks and just
to try and help keep anything away from her in case it decided
to come back. So when Lila had to leave to go
out to the road, we had to get Stephanie out of the water
because no one was going to be helping defend her anymore.
And so that was obviously incredibly scary.
You know, the water is not a safe place anymore.
Yet we're like, Steph, you got to get back in that water.
Like you have to be super brave. You got to run as fast as you
freaking can. You got to climb that hill and
and she did and she was able to lost.
The shoe in the. Process and.
With one shoe. But she got oh.
My gosh. And so how big was the Rock You
were on? I mean, it was a good size rock.
Like, I don't know, it was big. It was big enough for me to like
stand on there or lay on it because I kind of did do that
initially because I was so out of breath and energy by the time
I got to this rock. I literally just kind of flung
the top half of my body on it for like a hot 2nd.
And then I was like, I have to get my feet out of this water.
And so finally I kind of jumped up on it and I stood there until
Leela was gone trying to get us help.
And Jen and I were talking back and forth and I was like, I was
telling her, I'm so scared, I'm so scared, I don't wanna do it.
And I said, but it's getting dark and I'm gonna be out here
on this rock. So she was like, just do it.
And I think she told me to run really fast, which is kind of
hard in water where you can't touch.
So it's kind of like swimming. Running.
Really. Hard to get shallow or not.
Oh. My gosh, I tried so hard to just
go as fast as I could. And where Leela got up on this
embankment, there's no like real like shoreline on our side.
And so Leela just scrambled up this little.
She calls it a mound. I say, yeah, I guess it was.
But she scrambles up this on her hands and her knees.
You know, she's like trying to get up.
And so when I'm getting off the rock trying to get to this
place, there's nowhere really for me to stand.
So I'm trying to, like, lean halfway on the side of this
mound thing so that my feet aren't in the water because the
water is right up to the bank on our side.
And so I stayed there until someone could come help me and I
would have climbed up, but I I couldn't because I had one shoe,
my foot was a little messed up and my hand was pretty messed
up. And so I couldn't, I couldn't
really use the hand to try and you get up that embankment.
So I just stayed there. Oh my gosh, Jen, what was the
extent of your injuries? I had two huge bite marks here.
It had bit my nose, something in my lip, my eye over here.
This ear was split in half. This ear is mostly missing now.
Oh. My.
Gosh. And then just like bite marks on
my hands and legs and feet and fingers and like everywhere,
just not on my back, nowhere on my back, but all the front and
all my legs and hands or. How long was it attacking you?
Do you think like from start to finish?
It feels like forever, maybe a couple minutes.
I, I, I don't, maybe one minute. I don't know, it just it feels
like this. Whole thing feel like slow
motion to you? Yeah, yeah, because it's like
your brain's trying to process like what Stephanie said
earlier. You, you, your brain's so slow
to catch up that I just remember feeling really confused in the
beginning, not fully understanding the severity of
what was going on. You know, in a way, like kind of
thinking it just bit and it was going to go away.
And I was very confused by the fact that it just continued to
happen because I felt like I was being very defensive in the
water trying to fight back. And I couldn't under my brain
couldn't understand why I kept feeling, feeling pain every time
I tried to like kick or hit. And then it just like kind of
slowly caught up and it was like, oh, that's because it's
being it's defending itself also.
So I don't know a couple a minute to two.
I I feel seems like there had to have been more than one.
That just blows my mind. There's no.
Way. Yeah, I don't know.
So what? What has life been like for you
all since this has happened and what was the recovery like?
Why don't you guys start? I've been talking.
I ended up doing some EMDR work for some counseling just because
I was feeling pretty hopeless after a little after that
because it and feeling helpless from being able to get back in
the water and get over to the other side to help Jen.
But if I am hurt, I can't help anybody else.
So I had to keep that realization.
But just the whole going back to like watching when she turned
around when she got to the shore, the I just remember
seeing it was like a horror movie where blood just was like
coming down her face and I was like thinking that she was going
to die. So that kind of just kept on on
replay for me for a while. So I did do some of the EMDR
work and it helped tremendously. And then being in the water
again is definitely a whole different change because I'll
never be the same. Always looking over your back
and thinking that something's in the water going to get you.
And then definitely got a dive knife.
And I'll never be alone without some kind of protection after
that because you just, you never know.
I've floated a long, long time and I've never felt like I had
to protect myself from anything. And so, yeah.
I guess I, yeah, I really struggled after the fact for
quite a while, I'd say. I think for a lot of reasons,
right? You think like, initially I
thought, Oh, my gosh, I'm going to die.
Like there was a moment in the water where I honestly thought,
yeah, I'm going to die. And initially I had been
fighting. And then this feeling just kind
of came over me like a calmness. And it was like, this is it?
And after I had that thought, I was like, no, I don't, I don't
know if this can be it. And so I started fighting more.
And by the time I, you know, I get out, I get to the rock, I
realize I'm OK. I'm probably going to be OK.
But now I'm watching my friend fight her way across the river.
And I'm thinking honestly that she's going to die.
And I think that was really hard because then of course, like
Lela said, like we weren't, we couldn't be with her.
And so we didn't know how bad she was really hurt.
And as the night went on and it's getting darker and she's
getting weaker and I'm trying to talk to her.
She, you know, slowed speech and her, you know, her volume gets
lower and lower and it takes her sometimes a while to respond to
me. And so of course, when she's not
responding to me, I'm freaking out.
And, you know, I was just thinking, gosh, we have to get
someone to her because I don't want anything to happen to her,
right? So in those moments, I'm
thinking all of these things. And then after, you know, we get
out, we get to safety and I get to see what Jen when we get to
the hospital and you know, I'm so thankful that she's alive,
that we're all alive. And but after that, you know, I
kind of had this thought like, we won't be the same.
And not that I want to hold on to that, but I knew our lives
would be different. And so I, I really struggled
with thinking I was going to die, thinking I was watching my
friend die. And so I've definitely, you
know, had to do some therapy around that.
And I still really struggle with things that come up in the
peripheral. I panic and I try so hard not to
because I'm trying to tell myself I'm safe, but I really
freak out when I see something coming towards me in the
peripheral. And I, yes, I definitely freak
out over that. And I still don't like being in
the dark where I can't see anything around my feet.
That really freaks me out still. I really still struggle with I'm
sorry. Even indoors.
Indoors is not as bad but like I get I think I told the girls
this. I said I was taking the trash
down at night, something I've done a million times.
And after that, I seriously had like a panic attack coming just
maybe, I don't know, 30 feet from my house, bringing this
trash down at dark because I couldn't see my feet.
I couldn't see what could come out towards me.
And so I have a lot of moments like that where I'm, I'm very
panicked about not being able to see what could get me or
something that might be coming at me from the side.
So I still really struggle with that.
And it sounds like PTSD. Yes.
So what would the you you could talk about this if you want to,
but there I, I heard you guys had some backlash from it being
an Otter in people saying terrible things.
Is that right? Yeah, yeah.
We'd get people to say things like hashtag Team Otter.
They tell us to go fund ourselves.
I remember one person one time on the news article, said Jen
Royce. Munch, munch, munch.
Just people calling us like stupid tourists that we were
trying to take selfies with the otters.
And I think in this area, it's fairly common to get those
stupid tourist stories like down in Yellowstone when people are
trying to like, put bison in the back of their car.
Yeah. You know what up Like it's, it's
normal. People get gored by bison
because they're trying to take selfies or whatever.
So people hear the story and it sounds so ridiculous, or at
least out of the norm. And people are just so quick to
rush to a judgement because it's so safe behind a screen, you
know, typing away with your little fingers on your phone or
a computer. And you can say whatever the
heck you want, but we're not tourists.
We live here. We've floated the rivers a
gazillion times. We recreate, we camp, we hike,
we take precautions, you know, if we're going to be in bear
country or whatever. It's just, it was wrong place,
wrong time. And, you know, the keyboard
warriors just had a lot of fun with it.
And, and what's hard is not only are we reading the comments, but
my parents are reading them, our friends are reading them, our
family, like it's not just us that was victimized like this.
Like my parents had to get a phone call in the middle of the
night that I was in the emergency room and getting
surgery and they had no clue if I was OK or what the hell
happened. My husband's across the country
in Maryland getting a phone call in the middle of the night that
I had to be life flighted to the hospital from this animal
attack. And you know, everyone was hurt
by. And I'm not trying to leave out
Lela and Stephanie's situations because all of our families had
this happen. But it's just, it's so
frustrating because we would never be the type to criticize
other people. You know, in a time where you're
you're hurting the most and you're struggling the most, and
then people's hatred and their judgement, It's just, it seems
so cruel and unfair when you're literally struggling for your
life and trying to recover. Yeah.
It just, it really pisses me off, you know, if my friend
shouldn't hurt by reading comments off of something that
happened to us, that was a very tragic situation.
Well, otters aren't cute and cuddly like people think they
are. That's at least what I've.
Definitely what I've read. They're, they're horribly
vicious animals. And you know, there's I've
interviewed a lot of people that have had animal attacks and
every single solitary one, even the grizzly bear attack ones
have had trolls commenting and saying horrible things about
them. So you're not alone.
But you guys all seem like incredibly strong women to me.
So I can't imagine that this was and obviously you live in
Montana. You're, you know, you're
outdoorsy people. This was an extremely freak
incident, right? You're floating down a river,
right? Like you're not doing anything
wrong. You're not like where you're
technically not supposed to be. You're you know, you're, you're,
you're in the water, you're safe, right?
You're, you're quote UN quote safe.
And then just something happens, right?
Yeah, yeah. Definitely a freak accident.
So, So what was the what was the recovery process for all your
injuries? You guys want to start this?
Mine will be a lengthy explanation.
I didn't take too long, probably maybe a week.
I just had a bite on my left left palm and then left hip
buttocks area and a couple sutures on my palm.
So probably like a week to two weeks for healing and then also
having to deal with we got rabies shots also.
So that was fun having to go back for those.
So my process wasn't nearly as close to intense as the other
two. I was going to say, I'm not sure
that mine was super intense. I think honestly, yes, I had
physical injuries, but I would definitely say the mental piece
was harder for me. So yeah, my hand was pretty
hurt, injured. And so I just.
Needed shredded. She's being very modest right
now. They couldn't even keep her
thumb shut because of how open and how much skin was missing,
so she almost had to get a skin graft.
Yeah, my thumb was, it was messed up, but we got some
stitches in there. It was.
That was good. And the rest of, you know, my
injuries were just like what looked like claw Marks and like
you could tell where it had put its, its claws just kind of on
the skin and punctured holes in it.
And so they weren't it. There was not really a way to
like suture that. And so they just kind of had to
just let them heal on their own. My hand struggled a little bit
to to heal. And it was one of those things
where I couldn't really bend my thumb all the way.
And they told me that I might need PT to like fix that.
Luckily with within a year, it was fine.
It functions normal. It's it's fine.
But yeah, I mean, as far as physical injuries, that's, that
was it. And we did have to do our rabies
vaccines and. Do they think it had rabies?
They weren't sure. No.
Fish and Wildlife didn't go out and do any kind of investigation
and this is where my blood pressure is going to rise again,
so I'll get on my soapbox for a minute.
Get on it, go for it. But I was called the day after,
excuse me, driving home from a follow up with my surgeon and I
got a phone call from Fish and Wildlife and they wanted to talk
about the incident and had some questions for me.
And, and my husband was on the phone with me at the same time.
So he could hear everything. But we asked if there was going
to be an investigation done, you know, if they were going to go
out because we were being treated for rabies, whether they
had rabies or not, we don't know.
And the response to my husband was that because it was a one
off situation, they didn't think it was necessary to do an
investigation. And our response was, isn't that
the type that you would want to investigate?
Because grizzly bears get euthanized for way less than
what these things did to us. I mean, they get into trash in a
residential area and they'll euthanize them.
These things actually tags people and they said that it
wasn't, they weren't going to investigate it.
So I was also asked, I was told, you know, if I could have just
stayed on my tube, my injuries wouldn't have been as bad as
they were. What they told you that they
told you? Like it was somehow your fault?
Yeah. Oh my gosh.
Yep. Oh.
So, yeah, and I'm not gonna lie, when we're floating down the
river, normally you drink beer. I had a beer or two, I don't
remember, but. And then the guy asked, well,
how much do you think drinking alcohol had to do with your
attack? Why is that better?
Like exactly why does that matter?
Pretty sure if it mattered, I wouldn't be here talking to you
right now. And it was just such horrible
victim blaming or shaming or whatever you want to call it.
And completely unacceptable. Yeah.
That's not the phone call you want to get the next day.
My husband's a first responder. Leela used to be a first
responder, and she's a nurse. You don't talk to victims like
that after such a horrible event.
So that was less than ideal. Have you guys been back out to
where it happened? I've driven by once or twice.
There is no no signs of aggressive otters anywhere on
either end where you put in or take out.
Which I was told that there used to be a sign there and they were
going to put a sign there and still a year later and then
some, still not any signs of anything.
Which apparently this happens at least once a year.
Not necessarily for people, but definitely aggression to dogs.
And I also been fishing out in the big hole.
I actually ran into a sign that said beware, there are
aggressive otters in the area. So I don't know why somebody
couldn't put one up where we were at.
There was a friend of ours that went floating, not floating, but
in a boat down the river a week after we had went and they also
had otters come up to the boat. So.
Were they? Aggressive, they didn't say.
So I'm I'm assuming no, but I mean they had a metal boat, so
that's helpful. So yeah, definitely some
disappointment in the situation there.
I got messages from people following our attack that said
they had just, you know, kayaked with their kids in that same
area the week before. They were attacked by otters,
not against. I mean the otters came towards
them and they batted them away with their oars and they, the
one lady reached out to me, said she did report it to fish so.
Are you saying that nothing has been done since this to protect
people further from these potential Otter attacks from
happening in the future? Is that what you're telling me
right now? We've read from news articles
that they had signs up, but we were out there.
We did a thing with Inside Edition a couple months after
our attack and there weren't any signs up in the areas they said
they were up. Why do you think that is?
Is it? Do you think it's lazy?
Do you think it's like animal protection people?
I mean, what all of the above? Well, the news said it was Fish
and Wildlife that was going to take him out there and I think
that's their job duty, so I don't know why they didn't do
it. Wow, that blows my mind that
that that is the case that I mean, if if they're watching,
you guys need to get a clue, because that blows my mind that
somebody would. There's multiple situations
where there's encounters with aggressive otters and there's
nothing being done as far as like warning people or going
after and trying to euthanize these things or something it
sounds. Earlier this year, yeah, earlier
this year, people were talking about aggressive otters in that
same stretch that we were at. And someone even commented on
the post like, Oh yeah, a girl and her friends got attacked by
rivers last year or the year before.
So even as current as this spring, people were talking
about aggressive otters in that same area.
I don't know if there's signs out there now.
I I haven't been to the area, but there weren't when we were
out there before. So wow, that that's amazing.
Do you feel like this whole situation has what's it done to
your relationships overall? Has it brought you closer?
Has it? What's the what's the change
been like? Definitely closer.
We, I feel like we keep a close, close contact and eye on each
other for for situations and just talking about our feelings
and getting together and doing a yearly thing too and.
Yeah, on the one year anniversary, we went out and
floated from the other river. Yeah, we did.
We wanted to kind of face our fear and not let this whole
situation define us and keep us out of the water.
So we went to the Madison, the one with the drunk, immature
people I talked about. But safety in numbers.
It's an animal, right? Yeah.
Yeah, so no, we did. We went out on the one year
anniversary and then we had a big BBQ celebration afterwards
where we invited everyone who donated to our Gofundmes or help
bring meals or, or whatever. And we just put on this big
party just to kind of say thank you to everyone who who helped
us along the way. Cuz you were talking about, you
know, like what's recovery been like the support of our friends
and family and even honestly complete strangers.
I mean, I had people reaching out that wanted to send us all
like homemade scar creams and, you know, lotion and scar remove
it, you know, whatever. And they just wanted to help
people we don't even know. And it's just, it's been really
great. And I think, you know, to
outweigh all the negative stuff, there was an overwhelming amount
of goodness. And it was kind of refreshing to
see that in humanity because the world's definitely kind of going
downhill in my opinion. So to be surrounded by so much
kindness and especially from strangers that don't even know
you. I mean, I've met so many more
neighbors in my subdivision because our meal train was
shared and, and people would just bring us meals or drop off
granola bars and drinks and fruit for my kids or, you know,
whatever. It's like it it was just people
are, yeah, they're shitty sometimes, but they're also
really, really kind and considerate and just generous
and loving and I think that's really awesome.
If you, if you could go back, I ask everybody this, but if you
could go back and remove this whole situation from ever
happening, would you do it? I.
Don't know that I will. I'd like to have my ear back.
Yeah, well, I'd like, I'd like my ears to shrink because
they're freaking huge, but that's all right.
But no, I mean, honestly, I was in a really dark place kind of
before it happened because I had this really bad view of people
and the world. And it totally changed my
perspective on that. And I think in ways it I don't
mean like save my life, like I was, you know, going to die, but
it really it changed like just my whole outlook and perspective
on life in general and people. And I truly think that in some
ways this happened for a reason, kind of a wake up call.
But I wouldn't want my family to go through it.
I certainly want, wouldn't want these ladies here to have the
memories that are etched in their brain that the mental
piece is so serious, more so than the physical part.
I mean, wounds heal the time, their scars, whatever, they tell
a story. But the mental stuff, you just
can't. It's really hard to get past.
And that's the the stuff that we really have to live with for the
rest of our life. So yeah, for sure.
Stephanie Lila. I, I don't, I mean, yes, there
are parts I wouldn't want to happen.
I wouldn't want Jen to be as hard as she freaking was.
I wouldn't want Jen to be as hurt as she was.
I don't know. I, I feel bad saying no, like I
wouldn't change. I wouldn't take it back or, or
only because I think of what it's done for the three of us.
Like we've grown in different ways as individuals and then
obviously together. And I think that was really good
for us. I mean, yes, it was terrible and
I hate that it happened, but I think what it did for the three
of us and the way we think and seeing just how strong we are, I
think was also a really a really good thing for us.
And you also want me to have my ear back.
Yeah, I do want you to have your ear back.
Don't want you to be as hurt as you were.
Yeah. I'm going to say no, and as much
as a lot of it was not good, it's a learning curve and we're
getting the word out there for other people.
And now I am prepared again for some kind of situation that I
might have a knife later to help protect myself and friends
otherwise. I think the other part of it
too, that that has come out of it is just the awareness.
Like when you guys reached out to do this podcast, the one
thing we've said is, you know, we, we want to do these because
if it helps save one person, then our story was worth it.
It was really hard in the beginning because we would have
media reach out like the next day and they're wanting to do
interviews and they're wanting pictures.
And it's like you really have no respect for us or what happened.
You just want a good story for clickbait.
But the more that we've, you know, moved, moved past or
talked more or entertained these ideas, we see the value in
sharing our story because so many people have reached out,
even where they're like, I'll never look at otters the same or
I know now to be more prepared for the worst case, you know, if
it comes up or I'm going to take a floating or, or a rafting or
with me if I'm floating, just in case I need to fend something
off. And, and those stories are great
because they're not stories yet. You know, it's, it's it's
precaution. And that's why if people can
learn from us and what happened and not be in the same situation
or, or not be as badly injured or, or whatever, it's a, it's a
win. So yeah, I in a way, I am not
glad it happened, but I'm glad that we can make something
useful out of our situation, out of such tragedy and and horror.
Yeah, Yep. I, I, maybe you don't know this,
but I had my own survival situation.
That's kind of why I do these podcasts and I would not, I
would not remove it either out of my own situation because it's
definitely I feel I feel like those, like you said, makes you
stronger, makes you better, makes you better prepared,
matures. You definitely inflated my
spiritual life for sure. And so I feel like those are
always huge positives. Is there anything else that you
guys want to share at all quick? Anything we left out and then
you're like, I hope. I want to say something for
sure. I just want to draw attention to
my heroes. I have, I have three.
Well, five if I include Lela and Stephanie.
But so when Lela was running out to the road, there were some
neighbors or, or people that lived out, land owners that
lived out there that could actually hear our screaming and
they could see the lights. And, and his name is Doug.
He's awesome. Doug went down to talk to the
first responders to see what was going on, if he could help in
any way. They were able to kind of show
him a general area of where they thought they needed to go.
And so he just hopped in his Gator with the first responder
in a medic bag and they went down to this fence area.
They actually had to take down the wooden post so that they
could drive the ambulance through.
They go. You like one of the ladies said
earlier, they're basically 4 Wheeling out there to get to us.
Leela's telling them where to go.
There was a Highway Patrol trooper, her name was Barb, who
followed in her car. And I heard when she went in her
car, like the muffler ripped off and like all this body damage to
this Highway Patrol car. Thank you, MHP.
But they came out well, life Flight couldn't land until
someone was on the other side of the river with me.
So Barb and Doug looked at each other and you know, they said,
hey, you got your gun. And Barb said, yes, I do.
And they just without even thinking about it, jumped in the
water with Doug's dog Rose. And they swam across to me.
And like I said, this is a long, this is a wide stretch of river
that was no easy feat in full gear.
Very dark, very dark. And they swam the river to me.
And as soon as they got to my side, that Life Flight
helicopter landed. I mean, it was almost instant.
So had they not have just chosen bravery and self sacrifice, not
think like the story would have been different.
Had Doug not have gone down to see if he could help, it would
have been different. So without them, this story
would would have ended quite differently.
And then my third hero is my nurse Andy, who took care of me
in the hospital. She was just amazing and such a
blessing because I didn't have anyone with me.
My parents couldn't be there for a while after surgery, so she it
was really just Andy and I for a while and I asked her if she
would help wash the blood out of my hair.
That was the only thing I wanted.
So she washed my hair for me and then she braided it until my
husband and my parents got there later in the afternoon.
But it's funny how how small of a world we actually live in
because Andy and I are now soccer moms together.
Her daughter and my daughter are both freshmen playing on the
same soccer team. And it's just really, really
neat that I have this wonderful Angel in my life still.
That's awesome. And I do believe things happen
for a reason. And so I just wanted to call out
them because they they're a big part of just the story, a really
big part of it. Well, you guys are awesome.
Thank you so much for doing this.
I, I actually get really nervous when I do this kind of stuff
because I know what a, what a, what a, what a large.
I actually, I should say I don't get nervous.
I get I get anxiety because I know how important it is to
Share your story. And I want to be able to give
you all every opportunity to tell it is effectively as you
can. Because I do hear from everyone
that I talked to that how therapeutic it is, like you
mentioned, to be able to share and tell this story.
Because when you guys go back and watch this, you're going to
feel stronger. You're going to look back and be
like, yeah, OK, I got just a little bit stronger in that
instant, in that moment. And so I think that's really
cool. So thank you for allowing me to
be able to do that for you. And I personally think you guys
are super strong women. And I think those trolls can go
in the river with the Otter. And yeah, you guys are awesome.
So I appreciate you guys and yeah, thanks so much.