The Clallam County Sheriff's Office is requesting the public's help in finding a man who attacked a woman on the Discovery Trail near the Dungeness River this morning.

According to Sheriff's deputies, at about 8:40 a.m. today a Sequim woman was attacked while riding a bicycle west of the Dungeness River on the trail near the parking area off Runnion Road. As she passed a pedestrian, she and her bicycle were knocked to the ground and the attacker jumped on top of her, deputies said.

The woman fought the attacker and screamed for help, kicking him and fighting him until he fled. She was not seriously injured and did not require any medical attention, deputies said.

The suspect is described as a white man, about 6 feet tall and 200 lbs, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and long khaki shorts. He was wearing a red, black and white Halloween-style mask but removed it as he fled the scene, revealing short light brown or blond colored hair, deputies said.

He got into a light blue to gray 1980's Honda or Camry style passenger car and fled. A van left the parking lot a short time after the suspect fled. 

The Sheriff’s Office is requesting that anyone with information regarding this incident contact Detective Tom Reyes at the Sheriff’s Office at 417-2259. Detectives are interested in identifying the suspect, as well as identifying and interviewing the driver of the van that left the parking lot shortly after the attack. That person or those persons in that van may have seen something that may help solve this case, deputies said.

"The Discovery Trail is a popular and heavily used pedestrian and cycle path which runs many miles through Clallam County," Sheriff's officials said in a news release.  "Citizens should remain alert and remember that although we live in a relatively safe community, there are persons in the community that may do others harm.  Please be vigilant and take measures to protect yourself, such as a companion, a safety whistle, personal protective equipment, and the proper mind-set to help thwart an attack."