[Talisker]

The rare attack baffled experts who surmise the otter had rabies or was a mother protecting its young. "I've never seen or heard of it before," said Mike Scott, a conservation officer with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in Duluth. "We've got otters everywhere ... lakes, streams. Most times, (swimmers) wouldn't even know it. Otters usually stay away."

[Boogieman]

“The rare attack baffled experts who surmise the otter had rabies...”

In humans, one of the signs of rabies is hydrophobia, fear of water. So, would a rabid otter even go near the lake?