A paramedic was brutally thrown to the ground and stamped on in an unprovoked attack as he walked his dog.
The 26-year-old NHS worker, who does not wish to be named, was walking with his pooch through a wooded area when two youths ambushed him from behind and threw him to the ground.
He has suffered potential rib fractures and multiple cuts and bruises after the Hull incident, which could see him having to reluctantly miss weeks of work, reports Hull Live.
Police have launched a probe into the attack, which happened at approximately 8pm on Sunday.
He stated: "I take the dog for a walk every night along the river embankment. I was walking with my Air Pods in listening to a podcast, when I got hit in the side of my head and I was on the floor being stamped on in my upper back and the side of my chest.
"I grabbed my dog, thinking that they were trying to steal him, and they ran off. It lasted seconds."
He managed to run home and clean the blood and dirt from his face, before ringing his supervisor at the ambulance service, who came to check him over.
"She said I needed to go to the hospital for the swelling to my head, and she drove me as I wasn't in a state to drive."
He spent the entire night in A&E, only returning home at 6am on Monday, and had face and chest x-rays and has been told he has possible rib fractures due to the pain and swelling, which can take weeks to heal.
"I have no idea when I'll be able to work but I don't want to take time off. I will have to see how my recovery goes as I don't know if I can lift or carry people," he said.
He reported the incident to police, who took a statement from him and were due to visit the scene to see if there are CCTV cameras nearby which might help identify the attackers, who are said to be "no more than 18" and wearing dark clothing, and both had "tall and lanky builds".
The paramedic said he wants to warn others not to walk alone along the embankment at night, saying: "I will stick to the housing estate from now on, where there are houses and street lights, which is a shame as I won't be able to let Ralph off the lead.
"But I won't be going there again, and I want others to be aware of the risks. I know of someone else attacked on the embankment last year."
He added: "I don't think I have really processed how I feel about it all yet, I think I have just been running on adrenaline and it hasn't really sunk in. I just feel a bit stunned really. It doesn't feel real yet.
"I don't know why they did this. I lost my Air Pods when it happened so I don't know if they stole them, or whether they were after my dog. I just don't know why it happened or if it was just a random attack.
"I just hope we can get some information to identify them."
A spokesman for Humberside Police said: "Officers are appealing for witnesses after an assault took place behind Welwyn Park, Hull, at 8pm on September 5.
"It was reported that the victim was assaulted by two men, causing him to sustain injuries to his head and chest. The two men are reported to have been wearing black tracksuits.
"If you have any information that may help with our enquiries, please call us on our non-emergency number 101 quoting log number 564 of 5 September."
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