When Lunchtime Turns Into a Bloodbath: A Dingo Attack in Western Australia
On a seemingly ordinary lunch break last week in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 54‑year‑old Deb Rundle found herself the unplanned star of a wild safari. What began as a hunt for a lost phone quickly turned into a scene straight out of a horror movie.
One Phone — Three Pack Animals
- A small dingo snatched Deb’s phone right off her hands.
- She spotted three more dingoes nearby and tried to make a graceful retreat.
- Within seconds, the pack lunged, tearing flesh from her legs in a frenzy of wild instincts.
“Blood everywhere on the ground,” Deb told Channel Seven from her hospital bed. “I just looked at my wounds and said, ‘Oh my God.’” She added that when she glanced down she feared she might not make it out alive.
Ten Minutes of Scream‑tastic Survival
Amid the chaos, Deb screamed for a staggering ten minutes. She said the rattling sound startled her colleagues, who rushed to her side just in time.
“They just wouldn’t let go,” Deb recalled. “Once they tasted the terrifying feral experience, they didn’t want to stop.”
Her relative echoed the horror, noting that she was “bitten everywhere except the head.”
Local Voices
East Pilbara shire president Lynne Craigie admitted she hadn’t seen such a vicious dingo assault in her 20 years of living there. “A hungry animal can be aggressive, but a pack of three attacking together? I was genuinely shocked.”
How Rare (and Still Scary) Are These Attacks?
Official reports confirm that dingo bites are uncommon, with only a handful of incidents recorded in recent years. A quick rundown shows:
- 2012 – A German camper was savaged on Fraser Island.
- 2011 – A three‑year‑old boy and a South Korean woman were bitten separately on the same tourist hotspot.
- 2001 – A nine‑year‑old boy tragically died from a wild‑dog bite.
- 1980 – The infamous case involving baby Azaria Chamberlain that led to a high‑profile trial and a later coroner’s verdict that a dingo was the culprit.
Thankfully, Deb is on the road to recovery. She will undergo reconstructive surgery to graft skin to her body, a process that will hopefully heal the deep wounds left by the pack’s terror.
Takeaway
Never underestimate a dingo’s appetite, especially when it’s armed with a “pack” mentality. And if you’re ever out for a phone‑hunt in the Australian outback, keep a tight grip and maybe a snack for the dogs — that’s the safest way to avoid getting chewed out!
