Nurse, 26, reveals how she ran for her life when a man ‘tackled her to the ground and assaulted her on a remote track’ – sprinting for 10 minutes until she could get a signal to call for help
- Jessica was allegedly grabbed on Yellowtail Loop in Anstey Hill Recreation Park
- The 26-year-old sprinted for ten minutes while wounded to find reception
- The nurse said phones and markers must be installed in case of emergency
- Police charged a 51-year-old man with assault after the incident on Friday
A nurse who escaped from a man who allegedly attacked her on a remote walking track has called for emergency phones to be installed on the walkway to keep people safe.
Jessica was allegedly grabbed by a mystery thug on the Yellowtail Loop in Anstey Hill Recreation Park in Adelaide’s northeast on Friday morning.
The 26-year-old said she saw the man change direction and made a bee line for her for before grabbing her arm and pulling her to the ground by her waist.
‘I looked back and he was getting up and he was looking at me as he was getting up, and I just kept running,’ she told The Advertiser.
The northern suburbs nurse suffered a deep cut to her right leg and was forced to run for more than ten minutes to find phone reception to contact help.
Jessica was allegedly grabbed by a man on the Yellowtail Loop in Anstey Hill Recreation Park on Friday morning
Jessica spoke to her partner, who told her to contact police before being helped back to the car park by another couple, where she met her partner, paramedics, police and rangers.
She will need two weeks off work to recover from the 12cm cut after being stitched up at Modbury Hospital.
Jessica said she walks the Yellowtail Loop around five times per week and believes phones and marker points should be installed on the track in case of emergencies.
‘You’re in the middle of the path, there’s a good 30 minutes each way to get back to the car park or any of the main roads,’ she said.
‘You forget at the time you can call for help without a phone signal, but I guess in that situation you’re just thinking “I need to get as far away as I can”.’
Jessica wrote an emotional Facebook post after her attack.
The nurse said phones and markers must be installed on the track (pictured) in case of emergency after she sprinted for ten minutes while wounded to find reception
‘I am currently asking for some time to recovery and come to terms with what has happened, while I am in a lot of physical pain I am sure the emotional side of the recovery will take a bit of time, but am grateful to have such amazing friends and family around me and would like to thank everyone who has already reached out to me and sent love and kind words,’ the post reads.
‘I would like to remind people to please be safe when hiking and remember that while we all believe these things could never happen to us it is always possible, as sad as that fact is.
‘Do not let this scare you but please consider it and negate the potential for harm as much as possible, don’t walk alone, let people know where you are going, be aware of your surroundings, if you see something wrong go with your gut and stay away or alert someone, and most of all take care of yourself.
‘Anstey hill has been a safe space for me for almost 10 years now and I would hate for this to prevent anyone from enjoying it’s peace and beauty but please be safe everyone.’
A 51-year-old man has since been arrested and charged with assault.
He is of no fixed address and will face Adelaide Magistrates Court in September.
Jessica suffered a deep cut to her right leg in the incident that required stitches