Residents ‘unnerved’ as RCMP search for man accused of attacking woman with sword on P.E.I. beach
Residents of northwestern P.E.I said they felt unnerved Saturday after a woman was attacked by a man wielding a sword at Seacow Pond Beach the night before.
RCMP are asking residents to continue to be vigilant as they continue to search for the man, who fled on foot Friday night after the incident at about 9:30 p.m. Witnesses told police they saw an individual going through yards in the area.
The suspect, described as five feet 10 inches tall and last seen wearing a dark surgical mask and possibly a green hoodie, was still at large Saturday morning.
The 42-year-old woman sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries, RCMP Cpl. Gavin Moore told CBC Saturday morning. A youth who was with the woman sustained minor injuries. A third person was unharmed.
The motivation for the attack is unknown, Moore said.
John Gavin, who lives in nearby Norway and has relatives staying along the road leading up to the beach, said he was surprised to hear of a sword attack in the normally quiet, peaceful community.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “It’ll make us more … looking over our shoulder, I guess.”
Police issued an alert to cellphones in the immediate area on Friday night, warning people of an “active” and “dangerous” person who had injured a person using a sword.
The alert was not sent provincewide because alerts are intended to reach people in the area of potential danger, Moore said.
The alert was cancelled shortly after 2:45 a.m. when police deemed there did not appear to be an immediate threat to the public. However, later Saturday morning Moore said residents should continue to keep their doors locked and to “look out for anything unusual and to look out for each other.”
“This incident is certainly quite concerning for everybody involved, everybody in the community and the Island as a whole, but we cannot maintain an alerted state for an indefinite period of time. And so at some point we do have to let the public know that alert does not continue, but we do add in with that message that this person is not in custody and we do encourage people to take extra precautions.”
Police continue to have a strong presence in the area, Moore said. A police dog and drone are aiding in the search.
Bobby Morrissey, the MP for Egmont who lives in the area, said he found it unsettling to receive Friday’s alert on his phone.
“It has left the community unnerved, very concerned, and it will stay that way until an arrest is made and the community understands what motivated this attack.”
Morrissey said many people will likely begin to lock their doors, when before they would have left them open.
“Unfortunately, it will probably change the community.”
Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to call them at 902-853-9300.
“We appreciate the patience as we work to try and bring this person to justice,” Moore said.
