61-year-old mail carrier attacked by dogs dies from injuries in hospital

INTERLACHEN, Fla. (WCJB/Gray News) – A postal worker died in the hospital after she was attacked by several dogs, according to authorities.

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Department said the unidentified 61-year-old woman was attacked by the dogs on Aug. 21 in Interlachen, Florida, after her vehicle broke down.

Responding deputies said they found the woman on the ground with severe bleeding. Five dogs were located inside a fence at a nearby home.

Deputies said they were told by witnesses that the woman screamed for help. When the witnesses went outside, they saw the woman on the ground while being attacked by the dogs.

The witnesses reportedly tried to help the woman by pulling the dogs off, with one neighbor shooting a rifle into the ground to try to scare the animals off.

The deputies at the scene said they applied first aid to the victim until rescue units arrived. The woman was then taken to a nearby hospital before being airlifted to a trauma center in Gainesville where she was listed in critical condition.

Animal Control officers later arrived at the scene and took the five dogs into custody.

WCJB reports the woman died overnight while she was in the hospital.

Bonnie Mccomiskey, who lives near the area where the attack occurred, told WCJB that the same dogs had attacked her daughter’s vehicle before this incident.

“I called the sheriff’s department. They knew there were some aggressive dogs out there. They sent somebody out, and the dogs remain there,” Bonnie Mccomiskey said.

Her other daughter, Chelsea Mccomiskey, said she also had a scare from the dogs in 2021.

“I don’t really mind animals, but he was coming closer, barking, growling and running after us,” Chelsea Mccomiskey said. “If it weren’t for my sister and me that we ran into the woods, we would’ve gotten torn up.”

The sheriff’s department said dog owners should do their best to keep their pets in a secured area.