BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Updated on 6/28 to include sketch of suspect from BPD.

Bellingham Police are investigating a seemingly unprovoked attack on a jogger at Lake Padden.

The Bellingham Police Department says a young woman was running on a trail on the southeast side of Lake Padden on Saturday, June 22, when a man she ran past knocked her to the ground without warning and continued to start punching her.

Two people nearby heard the woman screaming and ran to help her, causing the attacker to run away. The woman was treated by a witness at the scene before she was transported to Peacehealth St. Joseph’s Medical Center.

The attacker is described as an average-to-fit white male in his 30s, standing about 5’8″ to 5’10” tall with a distinct receding hairline. He was wearing blue jeans and possibly a gray shirt at the time of the attack and was last seen running down a hill near milepost 1 3/4 of the trail towards I-5.

Bellingham Police says while the assault occurred during the Lake Padden Triathlon, the victim was not participating in the event, though one of the witnesses who came to her aid was.

Anyone with information regarding the assault or who may have seen the suspect fleeing the area is asked to contact Bellingham Police. If the suspect is identified, Bellingham Police says there is probable cause to arrest him for second degree assault.