The victim of an unprovoked acid attack in Canada would have been blinded had she not been wearing glasses she bought only an hour earlier.
Bethany Storro, 28, remains in a serious condition with severe burns to her face after being scalded with the acid-like liquid in Vancouver on Wednesday (Tuesday night, local time).
Ms Storro was about to enter a Starbucks outlet when her unidentified attacker confronted her on the street.
"Hey pretty girl, do you want to drink this?" the woman reportedly yelled, before hurling the liquid at Ms Storro’s face.
Ms Storro collapsed on the ground, screaming, before stumbling to a populated place where a man came to her aid.
She was rushed to hospital, and now faces a months-long recovery for bad burns to her face and chest.
But doctors said Ms Storro’s injuries could have been much worse if she had not been wearing sunglasses.
The victim’s mother, Nancy Neuwelt, said her daughter had bought the glasses on a whim the day of the attack.
"She never wears sunglasses, but she had a little extra money and bought a pair," Ms Neuwelt told The Oregonian newspaper.
Police have appealed for information to track down the attacker, whose motive remains unclear.
Tests are being conducted to identify the liquid used in the assault.
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