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A family from Brooks had to make a quick stop on the side of Highway 1 Tuesday night for their daughter to take a bathroom break.
They stopped 23 kilometers west of Ralston near Tilley when 10-year-old Hailey Nyberg was attacked by a coyote.
Hailey said it happened to her at about 7:30 p.m. when they were heading to Brooks from Medicine Hat and she had to stop and use the washroom.
“So my parents stopped and I was about to use the washroom but something came running at me.” Hailey said.
“I thought it was a dog, but it wasn’t, and it was a coyote,” Hailey added.
“He grabbed onto my leg three times. I screamed as loud as I could. I tried hopping onto the garbage can. He tried to drag me to the field.”
Alyshia Nyberg, the girl’s mother, said she heard a blood curdling scream. She opened the door and let her husband know her daughter was being attacked and he took over from there.
Dustin, her father, said he was shocked.
“I just got out of the car and ran over and I started yelling and I was able to grab her and pull her away,” Dustin said.
“They coyote was still latched onto her at that point. Me yelling at him didn’t scare him away.” Dustin added.
“I finally got the coyote off her and was able to get her to the car and got her in the back seat.”
“Meanwhile the coyote was still even once I had her he was still coming towards us. He was on a mission.”
The Nybergs called 911 and they were ready to attend to Hailey at the Brooks Hospital as soon as they got there.
Hailey had to get some additional vaccinations Wednesday morning because of the bite.
Dustin added that when he talked to Fish and Wildlife, they told him that the coyotes are becoming less scared of people because they are being fed.
Hailey added she wants people to make sure to check their surroundings at all times and to stop feeding the coyotes.
The family wanted people to hear their story so they are more aware of the coyotes and it does not happen to some else.
