A 77-year-old woman survived an attack from a vicious otter while kayaking in Florida. According to Fox News, Sue Spector, her husband Marty, and a group of ten other people were leisurely kayaking down the Braden River when the animal jumped toward her and started clawing at her face.
Sue told Fox 13 that she tried to use her paddle to fight back against the animal, but it did not work.
"I took my paddle and I tried to get him off of me and he wouldn't let go and I kept screaming, I kept beating him with a paddle," Sue continued. "When you're [in the middle of] it you don't have a lot of thought except you hope you survive."
While she was struggling with the otter, her kayak flipped over leaving her neck deep in the water. At one point she thought she might drown.
The animal eventually let go of her but was still acting aggressively. The group's guide helped her back into the kayak while other members of the party kept the animal at bay as they steered her to safety.
Spector was not seriously injured and was given stitches and is being treated for rabies. Her hat and life jacket helped protect her from more serious injuries.
Sue's hat is shredded and told FOX 13, "by some miracle I don't have any injuries on the top of my head," adding she also feels fortunate she was wearing a life jacket because it protected her back from the otter's claws.
This is the second otter attack in two days on the river. Florida Fish and Wildlife has posted signs warning people of the aggressive animal.