85-Year-Old Grandfather Dies Saving Wife from Dog Attack in Backyard: ‘He Was a Hero’

William Mundine died from injuries he received during the incident in Indianapolis on Tuesday

An 85-year-old grandfather has reportedly died after saving his wife from a dog attack in Indiana.

According to local media outlet 21Alive, family members said the incident happened in the backyard of William Mundine's home in Indianapolis on Tuesday when three dogs tried to attack his wife and forced her to run into the house.

“My granddaddy came out to try to shoo them away," Mundine’s granddaughter, Holly Watkins told the outlet.

"Two pit bulls, I guess, they attacked him,” added Watkins, who said her grandfather sustained multiple dig bites on his arms and legs.

On Wednesday, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) asked for the public’s assistance in identifying the owner of a dog in posts shared on social media. The posts included a photo of one of the dogs allegedly involved in the attack, which they said “resulted in injuries to an adult male who later passed away.”

Speaking to 21Alive, Mundine’s wife Betty said her husband “saved my life.”

“He was a hero,” she added to the outlet. “Thank God for him. He lived to be 85 years old. He’s been blessed. He is going to be missed.”

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Meanwhile, Mundine’s daughter Melissa said her mother is “distraught."

“These dogs are just loose, and they’ve been on the loose for weeks,” she said, per 21Alive.

According to a police report cited by local media outlet WRTV, Mundine was found with multiple dog bites and transported to a local hospital in critical condition. Family members told the outlet that he was unable to get away from the stray dogs as they approached him in his backyard.

Related: Girl, 6, Needed Over 1,000 Stitches and 'Won't Be Able to Smile Again' After Pit Bull Attack

"It was just horrifying, scary. I've never seen him like that," Mundine’s grandaughter told WRTV. "I will never forget those cries."

WRTV added that an IMPD officer fired their weapon at one of the dogs to stop the attack and Indianapolis Animal Control (IACS) was then able to secure the dog in a stable condition.

According to 21Alive, IACS workers also captured the second dog and were searching for the third as of Tuesday night.

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IACS said they were also in the neighborhood on Monday after reports of the same dogs that attacked Mundine attacking someone else, per WRTV.

A representative for IACS did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

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