A woman working as a lifeguard at a pool in Alexandria, Virginia, was abducted and raped by a man Saturday afternoon, police said.

Alexandria police said the 24-year-old woman reported to police that at about 2 p.m., an unknown man approached her while she was at work at a pool in the 200 block of South Pickett Street.

The man took out a gun and raped her, police said. The victim called for help after the suspect fled.

The suspect is described as a white man in his mid-30s, tall and thin with short hair and dark eyes. He was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, light-colored jeans and a blue baseball cap, police said.

"It's just horrific. I am shocked," said a resident who frequents the pool. "I've live here since 1998 and there's nothing like that has ever happened."

Anyone with information about the assault or the man is asked to call police at (703) 746-6613.