ATLANTICS BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) – Residents of the town of Florida Beach are on alert after a series of unusual attacks.
The latest victim, Thomas Cathy, told NBC affiliate WTLV, who works at a shop on Sixth Avenue in Atlantic Beach on Wednesday morning.
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But it wasn’t a person – it was a coyote.
“It came out of the bushes and circled me,” Kathy said. “I didn’t pay attention to it at first, so it attacked me from behind.”
When Kathy recalls wrestling with animals, she shows reporters bloody bites and bruises along his legs and elbows. The Coyote took him to the ground, but Cathy continued to fight.
The animal finally retreated after Kathy said she was able to give him a “good kick to his ribs.”
But he’s not the only one who’s telling a tragic story. Cathy is the third victim in two days in the same area near the swamp on Begonia Avenue.
Another person and their dog were attacked the same morning as Cathy. Officials said the dog dodged the coyote but was bitten in the process. Police expect the dog to survive. The first victim to be bitten on Tuesday is also expected to be fine.
With this report, the city of Atlantic Beach has issued a coyote recommendation, asking people not to exclude food, keep pets when pets are not being monitored, and report sightings in 911.
“In general, these animals are going to run away as soon as they see or hear something scary from them,” said police chief Victor Guarillo. “We recommend that you make yourself look bigger and make a lot of noise and scare the animals first.”
As of Wednesday, authorities were still trying to determine whether one coyote was involved in all cases or whether it was a different case. Authorities have not yet pointed out rabies, but Mayor Mike Borno said he was interested in the “fact that it is offensive.”
Cathy is out of the hospital but has to go back for some rabies treatment just to be on the safe side. He manages to escape with a meshed mark, but Cathy is worried about the safety of the other young residents.
“It’s not safe. There are a lot of kids around here,” Kathy said. “The child wouldn’t have survived that. He fought harder than the man ever fought me.”
The crew is asking to set traps near where the incident was reported and to help residents provide photos of the sightings to help them identify the animal or animal that is causing the attack.
