Actions of hero who came to aid of K’gari dingo attack victim caught on camera

The actions of a hero who risked injury to himself by running to the aid of a woman being savaged by dingoes on K’gari have been caught on camera.

A woman in waist-deep water screams in unimaginable terror. A vicious dingo lunges at her repeatedly. “Help her, help her” someone screams as a man charges into the water, unleashing a flurry of punches at the wild dog.

This is the heart-stopping mobile phone footage that captured the moment a pack of dingoes attacked 23-year-old Brisbane woman Sarah Peet as she jogged along a K’gari’s Orchid Beach in the early hours of Monday morning.

The man, who has been identified as Shane Moffat, kicks at the dingo and tries to shield the woman, who continues to scream in terror.

Dingo attack rescuers Shane and Sarah Moffat from the Glass House Mountains on the Sunshine Coast, on the beach at Waddy Point on K’gari, formerly known as Fraser Island. Picture: Liam Kidston

The grainy footage - shot by Mr Moffat’s wife Sarah from the couple’s ute and which has been viewed by The Courier-Mail - captures another four wheel drive tear across the beach in the direction of the dingo pack, trying to scare them away. It does nothing to deter them.

With the dingo still lunging, refusing to surrender and trying to claw at the woman’s neck, Ms Peet is pulled from the water by other bystanders as Mr Moffat continues to fight off the dogs.

The footage at this point captures the horrific injuries she has suffered, with blood gushing from dozens of puncture wounds spread from her knees to her shoulders.

Ms Peet is seen being put into the tray of Mr Moffat’s ute, which is put in reverse in an attempt to get away from the canines.

But even then, they refuse to give up, trying to leap into the back of the vehicle to renew their attack on Ms Peet.

Dingos at Orchid Beach on K’gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, on Wednesday. Picture: Liam Kidston

It is only when they were inside the dingo proof fence that the pack surrendered.

The heroic Moffats, both 33, say they will keep coming back to K’gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, despite the attack.

The Glass House Mountains couple said instinct kicked in when they stumbled across an exhausted Ms Peet with dingoes clinging onto each arm and being dragged into the surf.

Mr Moffat said he punched and swung a leg at the lead dingo, sustaining puncture marks to his hand, before putting Ms Peet in the tray of the ute and reversing up the steep beach.

“Rage,” Mr Moffat said when asked what was going through his head as it unfolded.

“I’ve just seen red. Rage at seeing how much she was hurt and how serious she was. The dingo wasn’t backing off.

Brisbane woman Sarah Peet, 23, is recovering in Hervey Bay Hospital after being bitten by dingoes on K'Gari (formerly known as Fraser Island) nearly 50 times earlier this week. Picture: Supplied

“I was up to my waist in the water and kept coming at my crotch and I just had to defend myself and stop him getting to her.”

Mrs Moffat said she had nearly gone back inside their accommodation that morning after forgetting insect spray had nearly turned left instead of right at the beach.

“She was screaming out for help, covered in blood, and not in a good way,” she said.

“But what if we hadn’t of been there.”

“I keep hearing her screams, excruciating,” Mr Moffat added.

The pair said they had mixed feelings about the lead dingo being euthanised days later, but understood why the he had to be put down.

Shane and Sarah Moffat on the beach at Waddy Point on K’gari on Thursday. The Glass House Mountains couple said they will continue to visit the island despite a recent dingo attack on a woman they helped rescue. Picture: Liam Kidston

“It’s difficult to weigh up, but do you wait until he does something again?” Mrs Moffat said.

“He was getting increasingly worse and you do wonder what he could have done next. Makes you think if he now has a taste for it.”

The Moffat’s still plan to return to K’gari in October for a family wedding.

“It’s about being safe. People won’t stop coming here, it’s such a great spot and we will keep coming,” Mr Moffat said.

“Don’t let dingoes ruin your day. We come here to see them too. It’s their territory.

“You can enjoy the island and be safe with them. Don’t walk alone, keep your kids with you and carry a stick.

“This was a very unfortunate situation.”

Originally published as Actions of hero who came to aid of K’gari dingo attack victim caught on camera