Five-year-old boy dies after horrific Gold Coast dog attack on Christmas Eve

The five-year-old was playing outside with the animal in Queensland when it suddenly attacked him.

A five-year-old boy was savagely mauled by a dog on Christmas Eve on the Gold Coast, later dying in hospital.

The boy was playing outside with the English bull-terrier American bulldog cross at a private property in Varsity Lakes when the animal suddenly attacked him, about 11.45am.

He had his back and neck mauled before going into cardiac arrest.

The child's grandmother, aged in her 40s, tried to rescue her grandson and pull the dog off of him.

She was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition while the boy was rushed there in a critical condition and had the High Equity Response Unit on-board for the transfer.

Despite him undergoing surgery, he succumbed to his injuries.

Queensland Police confirmed the young child’s death and will prepare a report for the coroner.