A man has described the terrifying moment he pulled a young boy and girl away from four dogs that were viciously attacking them in Orpington yesterday morning. McArthur Okorocha revealed the harrowing scene when he rushed to intervene after hearing screams from his neighbours on Mickleham Road around 9 am on October 5.
The incident involved two young children, aged 4 and 6, and a 30-year-old woman who were attacked by four dogs. Okorocha recounted his heroic actions as he rushed across the road to help after hearing the desperate shouting.
“I heard the mum shouting to the girl to ‘get out’ and ‘run out,'” Okorocha revealed. Then I saw the dogs biting the girl, so I had to rush over there and separate the girl from the dog when I noticed there was another little boy who the dogs were also biting.
He added, “I grabbed the first girl and held her, then I tried to grab the second boy, but the dogs tried to attack me. So, I had to separate the little girl and call 999. I got neighbours to call the police.
Okorocha said he was not scared at the moment, as his main focus was to rescue the children from danger. “The goal was just to get the kids out of there. I felt scared for the other little boy because I couldn’t get to him in time and I wanted to make sure he was okay.
Officers soon arrived at the scene and managed to bring the dogs under control, taking them to police kennels. The three injured victims were taken to the hospital, and their injuries were later assessed as non-life-threatening.
A woman has been arrested on suspicion of having dogs dangerously out of control and remains in police custody.
Superintendent Mitch Carr from the South Area Basic Command Unit said, “I know this incident will have caused a lot of public concern, especially due to the young age of the children injured. Fortunately, it is believed that none of the injuries are life-threatening. Extra officers will be in the area over the next few days to provide community reassurance.
The Metropolitan Police spokesperson added, “Officers attended and managed to bring the dogs under control. Two children, aged four and six, were found injured, as well as a 30-year-old woman. They were taken to hospital, and their injuries have been assessed as non-life-threatening.
London Ambulance Service also provided a statement: “We were called at 8.49 am this morning (5 October) to reports of an incident in Mickleham Lane, Orpington. We sent a number of resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, an advanced paramedic, and an incident response officer. We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance. We treated one adult and two children at the scene and took them all to a major trauma centre by road.
The quick actions of McArthur Okorocha and the prompt response from emergency services helped prevent what could have been a far more devastating outcome. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
