Woman, 72, Attacked by Geese at Park, Suffers Broken Pelvis and Internal Bleeding

A 72-year-old woman was hospitalized with serious injuries after she was attacked by geese at a local park in Texas.

Lydia West was feeding ducks at City Lake Park in Royse City when the attack took place on Dec. 1, her son, David West, told CNN affiliate WFAA.

The incident caused the elderly woman, who regularly visited the park to feed the ducks, to fall to her feet and sustain multiple injuries, the outlet reported.

“She was feeding the little ducks, and large geese came up to her and started attacking the food, and she fell hard,” David told WFAA. “And she was trapped on the ground, unable to move.”

A couple at the park spotted Lydia and came to her rescue by fighting off the geese and calling 911, WFAA reported.

She suffered several fractures in her pelvis and internal bleeding and was sent to a local trauma center for treatment after the incident, the outlet said.

“She’s a very small stature. She has other health concerns as well,” David told WFAA, adding: “She has a long road of physical therapy and learning how to be able to walk.”

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A spokesperson for City Lake Park told WFAA that the area is considering posting signs to instruct visitors how to “better share the space with wildlife.” (They did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, Dec. 6.)

“It was a shock that the geese could even become that territorial and could hurt somebody,” David said of the animal attack on his mother.

He now hopes the incident will serve as a warning to others engaging with wildlife in public spaces.

“Our main concern is being able to get a warning out there to the public, especially the senior community,” David told WFAA.