PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. – A woman jogging on Eagle Creek Road in Green Cove Springs was attacked by a pack of dogs, and a passing driver says he fired a gun into the ground to drive the animals away and save her life.
Jared Burt said he spotted the woman on the ground, surrounded by what he estimated were 10 to 15 dogs.
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“I was trying to honk the horn at first, get the dogs off her, that wasn’t working. So I had to get out and I shot into the dirt just off the road, that was the only thing that could scare them off of her,” Burt said.
Quick action after the attack
Once the dogs retreated, Burt said he rushed to help the injured woman.
“She was tore up pretty bad, bleeding. I had take the belt and we’d made a tourniquet around her leg. And called the ambulance and they showed up quick, loaded her up,” Burt said.
Burt said by the time others arrived at the scene, his focus shifted from the victim to making sure the dogs did not return.
“She was conscious, she was talking. She didn’t really show much emotion just because, I mean, she’s in pain. So there wasn’t too much to take from that. I was too focused on, once somebody else showed up, making sure the dogs didn’t come back and making sure that the police and the ambulance were on their way,” Burt said.
Family: Victim faces more surgeries
A family member of the victim, speaking off camera, said the woman still has a couple of surgeries ahead of her to fully recover, but that she is in good spirits. The family member also said she believes had Burt not stopped to help, the victim would have died from the attack.
Burt said he is relieved with how the situation unfolded given its severity.
“It definitely probably would have been a whole lot different if, even if I was there a few minutes later, she was in rough shape, so I’m just glad I got there when I did,” Burt said.
Sheriff’s Office investigating
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said the dogs’ owner is cooperating and has handed the animals over to Putnam County Animal Control. Officials said they expect to have a full report on the incident available Wednesday.