SAUGUS, MASS. (WHDH) – A woman was forced to climb a tree at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus as coyotes started closing in on her and her dog, she told a 911 dispatcher.
The woman was hiking with her Labrador named Abby on the Ridge Trail when she encountered the coyotes and retreated to the safety of a nearby tree while her dog stood on the ground below, she said in the 911 call.
While speaking with the dispatcher, the woman said that at least one coyote was about 400 feet away and staring at her and her dog. She told 911 she saw either three or four coyotes in all.
“I want you to obviously stay away from them as best as you can,” the dispatcher said.
As she waited for first responders, she could be heard in the 911 call yelling down from the tree, warning people approaching about the coyotes.
A Saugus fire crew assisted the woman when they arrived at the scene.
“We don’t recall ever having to respond to rescue someone from wild animals,” Saugus Dep. Fire Chief Thomas D’Eon said. “This is new.”
In wake of the encounter, officials are warning hikers to keep an eye out for coyotes and other animals in the area.
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