The road to recovery for a 19-year-old Austin Community College student is paved with surgery and support after he was attacked with a machete while walking a popular city trail. Seth Gott was blindsided in a savage attack last Tuesday that left him with grave injuries, including deep lacerations and a nearly amputated left hand. Despite the ordeal, Gott is now up and walking, sharing the progress from his hospital room. Photos from his mother, Dusty Colquitt, showing his courage in the face of multiple upcoming surgeries, as per FOX 7 Austin.
The attack nearly severed Gott's left hand, damaged his right hand, and dealt deep cuts to his face, head, and legs. With determination, doctors have relayed that there is a chance for the biotech student to regain full use of his hands. Colquitt expressed gratitude, saying, "the enormous outpouring of love, prayers, and support from family, friends, and strangers have just been incredible." A GoFundMe page has been established to assist with the medical expenses faced by the family, as stated in FOX 7 Austin.
The incident occurred in broad daylight on the 200 block of South First Street, a busy spot near Auditorium Shores typically frequented by dog walkers and joggers. Gott was walking along the trail when a man, identified as 24-year-old Ashton Kaine Talley from Kyle, Texas, allegedly attacked him with a machete after feeling slighted by a bump.Talley was arrested near the Seaholm district and he offered investigators a rambling excuse for his unprovoked assault. Bond for Talley, who faces two counts of aggravated assault, is set at over a million dollars, according to FOX 7 Austin.
In the wake of the attack, the Austin Police Association President, Michael Bullock, weighed in on the city's sense of security. "Everyone wants to feel safe in their own city and when we see stuff like this happen, it, it challenges that sense of safety that people have," Bullock said. He added, "I wish he'd never gone through this in the first place," acknowledging Gott's "long road ahead," reported by CBS Austin.
