WARNING: Graphic image below.

A long-time newspaper delivery man is recovering in hospital, after being attacked by a stranger while waiting to begin his morning paper route in the Comox Valley.

The man, who has only been identified by family as Bob, was attacked early Wednesday morning. According to RCMP, he was inside his parked vehicle in downtown Comox at about 4:15 a.m. when he was approached by a man on a bicycle who asked him for a cigarette.

When Bob told the man he did not have any, the man assaulted him with what appeared to be a machete, police said.

Friends who have since started a for Bob said he received multiple slashes to his face, and was rushed to hospital for surgery. The page had raised more than $9,000 in just 12 hours, as of Thursday morning.

鈥淗e has multiple other wounds from fighting off his attacker,鈥� the fundraising page reads. 鈥淚t鈥檚 absolutely unreal that a human being could do this to another.鈥�

Raymond Corbett, a friend of Bobs who visited him in the hospital Wednesday morning, shared a photo of Bob鈥檚 injuries to Facebook, in hopes that the assailant is found by police.

I鈥檓 almost speechless, but have to share,鈥� Corbett said. 鈥淭his is the closest person I have to a grandfather we call him grampa [sic] Bob.鈥�

According to Corbett, Bob and his late partner has delivered local papers in the area for years.

鈥淢y heart is broken thinking someone could do such a thing to another human person,鈥� Corbett said on his Facebook page. 鈥淧lease share this I want this person caught he is in his 20鈥檚 riding a bike that鈥檚 all I know as of now. There were other people around that seen this individual before this happened .鈥�

Anyone with information is asked to call the Comox Valley RCMP.

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