Alex Rozier

KING5

MACHIAS, Wash. -- A river otter attacked an 8-year-old boy and his grandmother as they were swimming in the Pilchuck River in Washington Thursday morning.

The family says that they were swimming in the water when a four-foot otter attacked their 8-year-old boy. Thankfully the grandmother was right next to him and saved him from potentially severe injuries. Both the grandmother and boy are hospitalized.

"All of a sudden I just heard him scream for his life," Tabitha Moser told KING. Her son was the boy who was attacked. "He was just bobbing up and down in the water and as he came up there was something all the way on top of his head."

"It followed us all the way up the river," Moser said. Her mom is also the grandmother who was attacked. "It was biting her as I was dragging her out of the river."

"Even after it got into the river and out of our way it stood up on its hind legs looking at us like, 'don't do it again, don't come in here.'" Moser said.

Fish and Wildlife responded to the scene and attempted to set a trap, but were unsuccessful.