A 40-year-old man is in critical condition in hospital after he sustained nearly two dozen puncture wounds from bites to his neck and face when he was attacked by a pit bull terrier in Ivy Road, Bellevue, in Pietermaritzburg last night.

The Witness reports that, according to KwaZulu Private Ambulance, which attended to the scene, the man collapsed and was then attacked by the dog.

“Paramedics provided advanced life support, stabilising the patient before transporting him to a nearby hospital for urgent medical care. The patient is currently listed in critical condition,” said KwaZulu Private Ambulance Service.

Mi7, who were also in attendance, said they arrived to a bloody scene.

“It is estimated that he lost at least two litres of blood. He was found conscious but in critical condition. Fortunately, before medical teams arrived, family members and bystanders had applied direct pressure to the wounds using a towel — interventions which likely saved his life at the time,” said Mi7.

They added that the patient was stabilised by medics and transported to hospital for urgent treatment.

“The dog was not present when medics arrived. It is believed the man went into cardiac arrest at the hospital, and at the time of this update, his condition remains unclear,” said Mi7.

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