A Transcona mother is warning parents after she says two men attempted to abduct her 10-year-old daughter during a school lunch break.

Rachel Hanson said her daughter, who just started Grade 6 at Arthur Day Middle School, had to fight off two men who tried to pull her into their vehicle on Wednesday.

"It's terrifying," Hanson said. "She's still shaken up."

Hanson said her daughter was taking a lunch break with three friends on Wednesday. The four had left school to visit the Safeway shopping plaza a five minute walk away on Kildare Avenue.

She left on her own to go to the nearby Stop and Shop when the two men approached her, Hanson said.

Man grabbed girl's arm

"She was confronted by these males asking her if she had any cigarettes or she had a lighter, and she said no," Hanson said.

"[She] tried to keep walking, and they kept talking to her. She's 10. She's just started Grade 6, and she didn't know what to do, because they're making her uncomfortable. Then they're asking her if she wanted weed, if she wanted marijuana, talking about things like that," she said.

Hanson said the men told her daughter "she should go with them and that they would bring her right back."

Her daughter had her phone in her hand and threatened to call police, she said.

One of the men grabbed her arm and wouldn't let go, she said.

A second man then stood in front of her, blocking her way, and tried to move her toward their vehicle.

"They were holding her so forcefully...and she ended up being able to break free from them by punching and kicking them," she said.

That's when her three other friends came up to meet her, and they all ran back to school to tell a teacher. The school vice-principal called Hanson and told her what happened.

Letter sent home with parents

A spokesperson for the River East Transcona School Division said in an email to CBC News that the school was placed in a hold-and-secure situation during the afternoon out of "an abundance of caution." In a hold and secure, entry is restricted but classes continue within the school as usual.

Children also were sent home with a letter explaining what happened.

"Our teachers talked to our students today about personal safety and we recommend that as parents, you continue the conversation," the letter said.

Winnipeg police said they received a report about the incident around 12:20 p.m. Wednesday.

Police said in a news release on Thursday that the person who grabbed Hanson's daughter was wearing a red or maroon sweater with a stripe. He is described as about 16 years old and tall, with an average build.

The vehicle the two were driving is described as a black or blue sport utility vehicle or truck.

Police said they continue to investigate.

Facebook post yields potential video

Hanson said after the incident happened, she wrote a Facebook post about it to see if anyone had witnessed anything.

"The area where this happened is a popular strip mall.… There's lots of people in and out," she said.

"There's lots of kids out on lunch, and lots of children that are vulnerable, and I didn't want anyone else getting hurt."

Hanson's post on her own Facebook page has been shared more than 1,000 times. She also posted the story on various community groups' pages.

She said because of the post, another mother got in touch with her, saying her daughter had captured video of what happened.

"My daughter's friend had the wherewithal to turn her cellphone on to video, and put her phone in her back pocket, to record as they were running away," she said.

They got a shot of the vehicle and the person, Hanson said.

"I'm so proud of her friend for doing that, because without that snippet, that screen shot we were able to take from that video, we wouldn't have the leads that we have right now," she said.

"I think we have to have a lot more discussions with our kids about how to stay safe, and how to react in situations that make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe. I think my daughter and her friends were pretty brave in how they treated their situation, but I think there is also room for improvement."