Newport Beach jogger, dogs rescued from coyote by man on horse

A Newport Beach jogger and his two dogs were rescued from a coyote Tuesday morning by a horseman.

Brian Clarkson, 37, was jogging on a trail near University Drive and Irvine Avenue, in the Back Bay area, with his two Yorkie mixes when a man on a horse spotted a coyote running toward them.

About 8 a.m., Clarkson met up with the coyote, who "seemed hungry and desperate," he told the Daily Pilot.

The rider yelled at the coyote, which was only momentarily deterred, according to Clarkson, who said the animal continued to follow him and his dogs from bushes across the street.

Seeing this, the rider escorted Clarkson part of the way on the trail until Clarkson could report the incident to park rangers.

"I've never been chased by a coyote looking for a kill before," Clarkson said.

Valerie Schomburg, senior animal control officer with the Newport Beach Police Department, said the city typically sees an increase in coyotes in the fall stemming from the birth of pups in the spring.