Two women were walking their dogs in a Melbourne park on Tuesday morning when they were attacked by a man who emerged from bushes.
The assailant lunged at one of the women, grabbing her neck and upper shoulders, before approaching the other and demanding she enter a tunnel, threatening sexual assault.
"He was threatening me to get me into the tunnel and he wanted to have sex with me," one of the women told Sky News.
The women's dogs then began barking and chasing the man, who fled into a tunnel beneath the Monash Freeway. Footage captured by one of the women shows at least six dogs of various breeds pursuing the man, with one blue heeler latching onto his leg and ripping his pants.
The man, described as being of African appearance, wearing a black tracksuit, grey hooded top, white socks and slides, and carrying a large bright blue backpack, remains at large. Police, including the Air Wing and Dog Squad, searched the area but did not locate him.
Despite the terrifying ordeal, one of the victims stated she would not stop returning to the park. "I'm just going to have to be a little bit more cautious. I mean, I always have been anyway. As a female, you always have to be alert," she said. "I'm not going to let it stop me from coming to the park that I enjoy so much and the dogs enjoy."