A 6-year-old Australian girl was bitten in the head by a dingo that then dragged her underwater — until her heroic family members rushed in to save her from the wild dog.
The girl, only identified as being a young tourist, was savagely attacked while swimming in shallow water on Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island about 160 miles north of Brisbane, according to rescuers.
The dingo “tried to grab onto her” — then “held her underwater for a few seconds before nearby family members” raced in to help, the Bundaberg RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter crew said.
“They had to actually physically lift the child, and the dingo, out of the water and get it to let go,” EMT Martin Kelly told 9 News.
The girl was flown to a hospital with her mom. She suffered “multiple” bites to her head and hands, the rescue crew said.
Dingoes are an ancient lineage of dog only found in Australia. There are at least 200 on Fraser Island, where they are a protected species with adults typically about 4 feet long and weighing about 40 pounds.
Local officials give visitors handouts on how to “be dingo-safe,” advising adults to always stay close to kids.
“Watch out — dingoes can bite. A dingo is a wild animal and can be unpredictable and dangerous,” the local parks department warns visitors.
It is the second attack on the island since a boy was also rescued by his dad after a dingo jumped on him in December, The Australian noted.
In 2021, a 2-year-old was seriously injured in an attack on the island’s Orchid Beach, suffering deep puncture wounds on his legs, arms, neck, shoulder and head, the paper said.
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