Florida mail carrier in critical condition after getting mauled by dogs

A Florida mail carrier is in critical condition after being brutally mauled by a pack of five dogs when her truck broke down, officials said.

According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the unnamed 61-year-old victim was delivering mail in the rural Interlachen Lake Estates area when her vehicle gave out and she parked on a roadside.

Horrified witnesses said they heard the woman screaming and saw the dogs attacking her as she writhed on the ground.

Several good Samaritans rushed to pull the frenzied dogs off the victim while one man fired a rifle into the air to scare them.

Deputies arrived to find the woman bleeding profusely and quickly applied several tourniquets while waiting for an ambulance.

The officers also saw five dogs barking behind a fence at a nearby residence.

The woman was rushed to a nearby hospital before being flown to a trauma center in Gainesville where she remains in critical condition, officials said.

The dogs were taken into custody by animal control officers after being identified by witnesses.

“Our hearts are with the victim and her family as they navigate through this tragic event,” Sheriff H.D. “Gator” DeLoach said. “It is imperative that dog owners take responsibility in keeping their animals in a secured location for their safety and those around.”

DeLoach said the investigation is ongoing.