ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — Residents in a Florida beach town are on alert following a series of unusual attacks.

The most recent victim, Thomas Cathey, told NBC affiliate WTLV he was walking to work at a shop on 6th Street in Atlantic Beach Wednesday morning when he noticed he was being followed.

Only, it wasn’t a person — it was a coyote.

“Came out of the bushes, sort of circled me,” Cathey said. “I didn’t pay any attention to it at first, then it attacked me from behind.”

Cathey showed reporters the bloodied bites and bruises along his leg and elbow as he recalled wrestling with the animal. The coyote took him to the ground, but Cathey continued fighting.

The animal finally backed off after Cathey said he managed to give it “a good kick in his ribs.”

But he’s not the only one who’s come away with a harrowing story. Cathey is the third victim in two days around the same area near the marshes off Begonia Street.

Another person and their dog were attacked the same morning as Cathey. Officials said the dog fended off the coyote but was bitten in the process. Police expect the dog to survive. The first victim who was bitten Tuesday is also expected to be OK.

The reports have led the City of Atlantic Beach to issue a coyote advisory, asking people not to leave food out, keep pets inside when they’re not being watched and report any sightings to 911.

“Generally, these animals are going to run away as soon as they see or hear something scary to them,” said Police Chief Victor Gualillo. “We recommend you make yourself look large, make lots of noise to scare the animal away first.”

As of Wednesday, authorities were still trying to determine whether one coyote was involved in all of the incidents or if it was different ones. Officials have not yet pointed to rabies, but Mayor Mike Borno said he’s concerned by the “fact that it’s aggressive.”

Cathey is out of the hospital but has to go back for several rabies treatments just to be on the safe side. While he managed to escape with only a few bite marks, Cathey worries about the safety of other, younger residents.

“It’s not safe. There’s a lot of children around here,” Cathey said. “A child wouldn’t have survived that. He fought harder than a man has ever fought me before.”

Crews have set a trap near where the incidents were reported and ask that residents provide pictures of any sightings to help them identify the animal or animals responsible for the attacks.