South Sound attack victim: ‘I just had to fight for my life’

What started out as an ordinary morning run for exercise enthusiast Oddy ended in a traumatic fight for survival after she was attacked by an unknown assailant in South Sound on 3 Jan.

“This is something that really, I never, never thought that would happen to me,” Oddy, who asked that her full name not be released, told the Cayman Compass in a recent interview.

The Cayman resident said while she was grateful to be alive, at the time of the attack she was not so sure she would make it.

A 26-year-old suspect was in police custody on 3 Jan., following this incident.

Morning run turns into a fight for life

She said her morning run started normally when she hit the road at 5:45am on 3 Jan. along the South Sound stretch, as she headed to Scotiabank at Hurley’s roundabout.

She said she then encountered two women who warned her about a man who had been circling the area where they had been running. A similar stalking report was made to police.

“I say, okay, and I keep running. But when I was probably 15 minutes in my run, I saw this guy on a bicycle coming up and down and I saw him doing that several times. I thought it was suspicious, but I really didn’t put too much attention on it and I just kept running,” she said.

However, upon nearing Old Crewe Road, Oddy’s run quickly changed from fun to frightening.

“This guy passed me on the bicycle and pretending like he was falling down from the bike… he just dropped the bike on the floor and got up…. it happened very, very fast. He just came on top of me and pushed me in the bushes and he started hitting me. I started screaming, but then he grabbed my neck and he was choking me very hard,” she said.

Oddy said all she kept thinking was she had to fight.

“I didn’t know what he was planning to do. I didn’t know if he was planning to kill me or if he had a knife. Then, when he was choking me, I’m just saying, ‘You know what, I just have to fight for this… I have to fight for my life…’ I was fighting for my family ‘cos I really wanted to see my family again,” she said.

“I didn’t know what he was planning to do. I didn’t know if he was planning to kill me or if he had a knife. Then … he was choking me.”

After kicking, screaming and pushing the man off her, he finally ran away.

Oddy said she is still traumatised by the experience, but she will not let that stop her from getting back out on the road soon.

She has sustained an injury to her leg from the attack, as well as scratches and bruises to her face and neck.

However, she said when she is cleared by the doctor, she will return to running, but this time with company.

“I think he was looking for that moment, for that victim to be by herself, because most of the people that were walking or jogging, they were in a group or with partners, but it was a time that I was by myself and probably he took advantage of that,” she said.

Oddy welcomed news that government will look to bring legislation to allow women to carry pepper spray, but until then she urged women to take extra care as she has learned a very valuable lesson.

She said having a cellphone is important, as well as being observant.

“If you are in that situation already, don’t be afraid or don’t show him that you are afraid. Try to look for signs that you can remember from a suspicious person like his colour hair or skin, or whatever sign that can help you after. If you are in the situation that I was already in, try to grab anything that is in your sight to defend yourself,” she added.