Girl, 6, mauled by wild dog while swimming leaving her with head injuries

03 April 2023 , 12:22

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A young girl has been mauled by a wild dog that held her underwater while she was swimming in the ocean

A young girl has been mauled by a wild dog that held her underwater while she was swimming in the ocean.

The six-year-old was swimming in shallow water at Waddy Point Beach, Fraser Island, Australia when the animal, a dog descendant, attacked her.

The girl was bitten on her head and suffered puncture wounds around her ear, as well as minor cuts to her hands.

She was treated by paramedics at the scene, before being flown to Hervey Bay Hospital in central Queensland.

A spokesman from Bundaberg RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Team said: "The animal reportedly held her underwater for a few seconds before nearby family members were able to get the dingo off her.

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The six-year-old was swimming in shallow water at Waddy Point Beach (RACQ Life Flight Rescue/9News)

"She sustained multiple minor bites to her head and fingers."

Fraser Island is known for its dingoes, with warnings to tourists to be “dingo-safe” when visiting.

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) urges families to keep children within arms reach to avoid attacks as dingoes can appear out of nowhere and move quickly.

“Never let children sleep in a tent or camper trailer without adults or wander away on tracks, lakes and beaches,” warning information reads.

The last fatal dingo attack occurred in 2001 when a small pack killed nine-year-old Clinton Gage, also on Queensland's Fraser Island.

A dingo on a beach at Fraser Island, Australia (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

In November 2012, a six-month-old dingo known as Inky was killed by rangers on Fraser Island after continued aggressive and dangerous behaviour towards people.

It grabbed two tourists on separate occasions with his mouth and continually "lunged" at families.

The most famous case of a dingo attack was the death of Azaria Chamberlain in 1980.

Azaria was two months old when she was killed by a dingo at Ayres rock, but her initial disappearance led to a series of court cases and inquests that saw the mother jailed for life in 1982 – before she was eventually cleared in 1986.

In 1986, Ms Chamberlain was exonerated after a piece of Azaria’s clothing was found near a dingo den. As a result, she was released from jail and received $1.3 million (£710k) in compensation for her false imprisonment.

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