PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A local family has been receiving a lot of media attention after reportedly being attacked by a rabid otter in Virginia.

The Kosanovic family is from Irwin, but was spending a week in Sandbridge, Va. at their beach house.

Brian Kosanovic described the ordeal on Facebook, saying his 14-year-old daughter Caitlin was on a paddleboard in a nearby canal when a river otter jumped onto her board and attacked her.

“She noticed an otter and before she knew it – it had jumped onto the paddle board and then leaped towards her with an open mouth and bit her in the thigh,” her father Brian posted.

Brian says he then jumped into the water and grabbed the otter off of his daughter and eventually killed it, so that it wouldn’t bite anyone else.

Brian and his daughter Caitlin are undergoing rabies treatments after the otter tested positive for rabies.

Although Brian says he and his daughter will be OK, he did have a warning for other parents.

“Please – if you take anything away from our experience it is that you must always be cautious especially around animals. What may seem like a cute furry playful animal may just end up to be a threat to you or your kids.”

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