The CRUX: True Survival Stories

87) Jen Royce's Wilderness Ordeal: Otter Ambush on the Jefferson River

12.18.2023 - By Kaycee McIntosh, Julie HenningsenPlay

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

In this weeks episode, we bring you the shocking story of Jen Royce, a courageous adventurer from Bozeman, Montana, who faced a perilous otter attack while celebrating her birthday on the tranquil waters of the Jefferson River.

On August 2, Jen and her friends set out for a tubing excursion, blissfully unaware of the imminent danger lurking beneath the calm surface. An otter, with sudden aggression, turned their peaceful evening into a fight for survival.

Jen's harrowing experience unfolds through the lens of her Facebook post, recounting the heart-pounding moments when the otter left her face and extremities badly injured. The attack, lasting an astonishing five minutes, unfolded in chaos, leaving Jen and her friends grappling with the relentless assault in the deep stretch of the river.

Join us as we delve into the rarity of otter attacks, with experts revealing that only 59 recorded incidents with injuries or fatalities have occurred worldwide since 1875. Jen's ordeal sheds light on the unpredictability of nature and the resilience required when faced with unexpected wildlife encounters.

Please consider donating to Jen's go fund me, she has not met her goal. https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-this-montana-family

References:

https://people.com/rare-otter-attack-woman-missing-half-right-ear-7643523

https://nypost.com/2023/08/13/woman-loses-half-her-ear-in-angry-otter-attack-while-tubing-down-montana-river/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12402389/Otter-attacks-Montana-woman-tubing-Jefferson-River-friends.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/amandakooser/2023/08/18/when-otters-attack-expert-weighs-in-on-spate-of-incidents/?sh=2768aed97d38

More episodes from The CRUX: True Survival Stories