A woman has recalled how she was forced ask her brother’s girlfriend to pick her up after she realised she was being followed by a stranger while walking her friend’s dog.
The Cairns resident was forced to call for help when the stranger refused to leave her alone during the frightening encounter in a dimly lit area during her walk at night.
Carla De Vecchi shared her story on TikTok and began the video by telling her followers she never thought a situation like the one she experienced would happen to her while living in Australia.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Carla, who grew up in the Cairns southern suburb of Edmonton, presumed she ‘would be quite safe being familiar with area’.
‘I was walking my housemates dog Roland whilst she was away in Sydney so this isn’t something that I normally do,’ she said.
Recalling the incident on TikTok, she said: ‘I just got dropped home by my brother’s girlfriend because some guy started following me and playing peek-a-boo in the bushes while I was out walking the dog.
‘I spotted this deviant coming towards me on a push bike wearing a cap and a hoodie covering his face.’
Carla noted the man’s attire was particularly troubling because of Cairns’ high temperature and humidity.
Carla De Vecchi had been walking her dog in Cairns when the frightening encounter took place (pictured)
Carla (pictured) was forced to call her brother’s girlfriend for help
She realised she had become a ‘sitting duck’ after attempting to walk quickly away from the man but was unable to as her hair had become tangled in her phone pouch zipper.
As Carla untangled her hair, she looked up to see the man staring at her. The Cairns local feared for her safety as she ‘had no other option’ but to walk past the stranger.
Carla was able to move past the man unharmed but continued to feel uneasy after spotting he was still staring at her when she looked behind.
She continued on with her walk but the poorly lit street up ahead led Carla to decide it would be safer to turn around and call for help after noticing the man was following her.
Carla turned around to see the man had disappeared only for him to jump out from the bushes that lined the path.
She started walking towards him in the direction of a McDonalds where she felt she could call her brother’s girlfriend to pick her up.
As she attempted to get away, the man said: ‘I’m not following you darling.’
‘I have never been so f***ing terrified in my life. I was fine until he started speaking,’ she recalled.
Carla, who was thankfully picked up by her brother’s girlfriend and taken home, told Daily Mail Australia she hopes her ordeal can help others.
She said: ‘I’m quite fortunate that the incident hasn’t affected me too much, I’m quite mentally and emotionally robust so this has only deepened my social awareness as a female to stay vigilant no matter the area I’m in.
‘I know that not everyone would respond the same way, and I absolutely understand how something like this could be traumatic for someone else. That’s why I think it’s important we keep sharing these stories.’
Carla added: ‘If I can share anything it would be to stay weary of your surroundings and people within your vicinity. If your intuition picks up on something that doesn’t feel right, stay calm and begin assessing your best options to keep yourself safe.
‘Our intuition is one of our greatest safety tools. We don’t always need to be afraid, but we do need to be attuned.
‘My advice is: Don’t override your gut feelings for the sake of being polite or “non-dramatic” your safety matters more.’
Carla received support from hundreds of women who shared her experience, with one commenting: ‘And this is why women especially are so scared to walk on their own so scary I hope you are okay.’
‘”I’m not following ya darlin” is not something someone should say to make someone believe they’re not following them,’ another shared.
A third wrote: ‘Omg I’m from cairns too, never felt safe walking anywhere!! Glad you’re safe girl’.
