A river otter attacked a child at a Seattle-area marina, dragging the youngster from a dock and into the water before the mother rescued her child, wildlife officials said.

The child was pulled underwater and resurfaced after a few moments during the encounter Thursday at 9.30am at the Bremerton Marina in Kitsap County, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officers said in a press release.

The otter continued to bite and scratch as the mother pulled the child out of the water.

The animal chased them as they left the dock, wildlife officials said.

The child was treated at a hospital.

“We are grateful the victim only sustained minor injuries, due to the mother’s quick actions and child’s resiliency,” said Fish and Wildlife sergeant Ken Balazs.

“We would also like to thank the Port of Bremerton for their quick co-ordination and communication to their marina tenants.”

Officers trapped the otter and took it to a disease diagnostic lab for testing, including for rabies, the release said.

The agency did not respond to questions on Saturday about test results.

River otters are common throughout Washington and can be found in fresh and saltwater habitats, officials said.

Encounters with humans are rare, with six occurring in the past decade, they said.

River otters can be territorial and “like any wildlife, are inherently unpredictable”, officials said.