Coyote attack.

Near sundown on August 4th, three-year-old Sangchul Bae was watching his dad hit practice balls at the Jess Ranch Golf Course in Apple Valley, California, when a coyote suddenly emerged from nearby bushes and lunged at the boy. The aggressive predator damped its jaws on the toddler's face and began dragging him toward the bushes. The child's father pummeled the coyote with his golf club, causing the animal to release its grip and momentarily back off. But the coyote was undeterred and repeatedly attacked the terrified boy.

At this point, as reported by Los Angeles television station KNBC the next day, "an off-duty deputy stepped in, fired a round at the coyote and wounded him." Other accounts questioned whether the bullet actually found its mark, but in any event, the animal scurried away in the wake of the gunshot and did not return. A helicopter was called in to search for it in the open desert surrounding the golf course, but to no avail.

Sangchul Bae was rushed by ambulance to a medical center for treatment of what were described as moderate lacerations to his jaw and arm. According to KNBC, he was "stable and will undergo plastic surgery on his wounds."