A woman bit her attacker on the hand in Co Antrim before fending him off with the help of two passing motorists.
She was walking along Woodburn Road near Ellis Court in Carrickfergus at around 5.40am yesterday when a dark jacket was thrown over her head and she was pushed to the ground.
The attacker put his hand over the woman's mouth but she bit it before two passing motorists came to her aid.
The man fled in the direction of a health centre in Ellis Street. His victim sustained cuts and bruises to her face and arms and was left shocked by the incident.
Her assailant was described as being 5ft 5in tall, with a stocky build, short dark hair and an open wound to the right side of his forehead.
He was wearing blue jeans and a grey waterproof jacket. Police asked anyone who witnessed a man acting suspiciously between 5am and 5.30am yesterday in the area to help their investigation.