‘DRIVE, drive, drive!’
Glass House Mountains local Sarah Moffat could not believe what she was seeing.
At the edge of the beach was a woman being mauled by a pack of dingoes.
Perched in the family 4WD at the top of a K’gari sand dune and with her two children in the back, Sarah turned to husband, Shane, and screamed.
“I was like, quick, drive, drive, drive,” she recalled.
Without a thought for their own safety, the couple sped towards the attack before running into the water in an attempt to rescue what they could now see was a young woman moments from succumbing to horrific injuries.
“We drove full pace down to the water and we both jumped out of the car and pelted into the water,” Sarah told GC&M News of the July 17 attack.
“Shane went straight to her and I went to the other side and she started to try to walk towards me.
“Shane tried to get in between her and the dingoes but they kept trying to get back to her.
“It was terrifying.”
It was meant to be an idyllic annual family getaway for the Moffat’s, who were staying at Orchid Beach with their two young children.
Instead a fortuitous morning drive and a selfless decision to risk their own safety, ultimately saved the life of 24-year-old Sarah Peet.
Ms Peet had been jogging along Orchid beach when a pack of dingoes started stalking and then attacking her.
Forced into the water and with nowhere to turn, the dingoes, including the since-euthanised leader of the pack, surrounded and lunged at her.
“It was obviously horrifying for us and it is still sinking in as to what happened and what we saw that morning,” said Shane.
Sarah said there were four dingoes – two on the bank, and two that had chased the woman into the water.
Sarah said by the time they got to her, she was already suffering from not only extensive bite wounds but exhaustion from her attempts to fight off the animals.
“It was horrifying to see her injuries. She was not in a good state at all,” Sarah said.
“She had big bites and scratches all over her body and was just exhausted from trying to fight them off. She was on the land first and then ran into the water to get away from them but two dingoes followed her in.
“She was injured everywhere on her body, every limb was punctured and everything you could imagine a dog could do they had done to her.”
Running on adrenaline, Shane used his strength to try and pull one of the dingoes off the victim, while defending themselves from the other predator.
At the same Sarah was doing everything she could to lift the injured girl onto the car tailgate.
With the dingoes still coming for the injured girl, friends who had been behind the Moffat’s car started circling their 4WD to keep the attackers at bay.
That move allowed the couple enough time to jump into the car and start driving to safety.
Even once in the car the animals refused to yield, chasing the vehicle and forcing Shane to reverse up the hill to keep the dingoes away from the injured girl who was in the back of the car but exposed.
“We had to back up a big hill as we had to try and get her to safety without the dingoes getting to her,” Sarah said.
“The dingoes chased us up the hill and kept trying to jump on the back of the tailgate – they were totally focused on trying to get to the back of the car where she was.”
The car finally made it up the hill and over a dingo grid, giving the Moffat’s an opportunity to check on Ms Peet.
Seeing she was rapidly losing consciousness and realising the full extent of the injuries, they drove straight to the Orchid Beach Pub located next to the island landing strip where they stayed with the young woman until medical help arrived.
She was subsequently helicoptered out.
Sarah said she was relieved to have been in contact with Ms Peet’s family and learn that she was doing okay.
Sarah described the entire experience as horrifying and crazy, but was against culling the animals.
“We have always loved dingoes but we have always been respectful that this is their land,” she said.
“While it seems there is definitely a menace, one that needs to be dealt with, we do not think they should be generally culled.”
A Department of Environment and Science spokesperson said the dingo had been “captured and humanely euthanised.”
The dingo had been responsible for another “recent threatening and biting incident” which resulted in the hospitalisation of a six-year-old girl.
Another dingo was euthanised last month after several incidents on the island, including attacks on a seven-year-old boy and a 42-year-old woman.
Environment Minister Leanne Linard praised the efforts of the Glass House Mountains couple for their heroism and expressed her gratitude that they were able to come to the aid of the victim and be there to assist in what the Minister acknowledged would have been an “incredibly terrifying experience.”
Sarah reiterated people should never run near the animals or walk alone when visiting K’gari. They should carry a stick and be mindful of the natural instincts of the native animals that form an important part of the island’s ecology.
“Be respectful, and just know this is their land, don’t walk near them and know how to keep yourself and family safe if you do visit,” she said.
Following this latest attack, the Department of Environment and Science have confirmed that the lead wongari identified in the attack had been captured and humanely euthanised.
Residents and visitors to the island are advised to Be Dingo-safe! all times. For more information visit https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/kgari-fraser/about/wongari-dingoes