Christmas tragedy as boy, 5, dies from savage dog attack in Australia

Police confirmed the death of a five-year-old boy from Queensland, Australia on Christmas Eve after he was mauled by a dog on a property in Varsity Lakes.

The young child, identified as Manny, was with his grandmother, house sitting the property when the tragedy happened. They were in the backyard and he was climbing out of the pool when the animal pounced on him and bit him on the back and neck.

Paul Young, from the Queensland Ambulance Service, told 9news, that multiple paramedics and the High Acuity Response Unit (HARU) rushed to the scene. He said that the dog, a bull terrier cross American bulldog, belonged to the owner of the house and apparently just turned on them.

The child's grandmother desperately tried to pull the animal away from the boy. A neighbour who saw the attack reportedly even jumped a fence to help successfully take the dog away. The grandmother, who is in her 40s, sustained injuries to her hands and arms and is now in stable condition but is being treated for shock.

The boy, on the other hand, sadly did not survive his wounds. He was left with life-threatening injuries when he was rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. He later went into cardiac arrest.

The Queensland Ambulance on its Twitter page confirmed the attack on the child in a statement that said, "#VarsityLakes - A patient has been transported to Gold Coast University Hospital in a critical condition after sustaining bites from a dog at a private address. The High Acuity Response Unit was on board for transport."

A representative for the Queensland Ambulance said they transported Manny to the hospital in "a critical condition." Paramedics even administered blood transfusion but he later died in the hospital during surgery.

As for the dog, it remains in a council pound as police continue with their investigations. A video shared online showed two animal control officers going inside the house carrying poles and they later emerged with the animal being taken away from the property. It is unclear if the dog has a history of violence or aggression. Its owners have also yet to comment on the tragic death of Manny.