A fly-in fly-out worker at a Western Australian gold and copper mine has been attacked by three dingoes, leaving her with deep wounds to her legs, arms and body that will need plastic surgery.

The woman, a security worker, was eating lunch at a designated safe eating area at the East Pilbara Telfer Mine on Wednesday when she was approached by a young dingo, her family told The West Australian.

The woman has had two operations after she was attacked by three dingoes. (This dingo was not involved in the attack)

The 54-year-old thought the animal was attracted to her food so she put her lunch in the rubbish bin. Her family said that, as she was doing that, the dingo took off with her mobile phone.

The woman followed the dingo and, when she tried to retrieve her phone from a nearby bush, she saw two other dingoes nearby.