Iowa man dies after saving daughter from dog attack

The dog attacked another man on the scene as well

Police line stock (Getty iStock)

A man in Iowa has died after saving his five-year-old daughter from a dog attack, according to police.

Officers from the Fort Madison Police Department were called to a home in Fort Madison, Iowa on Friday morning, after a report of a large dog attacking a man in a front yard.

After first responders came to the aid of this unidentified man, they found Robert Joseph Quick, 33, seriously injured.

Mr Quick, a resident of nearby Dallas City, Illinois, asked the officers to first care for his five-year-old daughter, who had been bitten in the face by the dog.

His daughter was located and "first aid was rendered," according to a statement from the Department released on Facebook by Lee County Sheriff Stacy S Weber, who oversees Fort Madison as interim police chief.

Her father was transported to Fort Madison Hospital, and later pronounced dead after “tremendous efforts to save his life on the scene and by medical personnel were unsuccessful.”

A post-mortem examination determining the exact cause of his death is pending.

"Mr Quick had defended his daughter and undoubtedly saved her life by his actions," police said.

The statement released also said that officers “did have to discharge a weapon to dispatch the animal to stop the attack.”

“The dog was very aggressive and would not release the man,” police said.

Family members have established a Go Fund Me to pay for funeral expenses for Mr Quick, who is being hailed as a hero in comments on the Facebook announcement of the incident.

Police say the dog did not belong to any of the victims, but was being kept at the house for a family member. It’s unclear what became of the dog, or what condition the first man on the scene is currently in.

The Independent has reached out to Sheriff Weber for more information.