A 5-year-old girl was recovering Sunday after she was bitten by an unleashed pit bull in Contra Costa County, according to the California Highway Patrol.

At about 11:50 a.m., a CHP helicopter was on patrol near the area of Point Pinole Regional Park when the Richmond Fire Department broadcast a report of a child who was attacked by a pit bull, CHP officials said. The location was somewhere on a trail within the park, and the CHP chopper was overhead within minutes.

When the chopper arrived at the scene, a CHP officer-paramedic began to assess the child and provide care for what turned out to be a minor injury, officials said.

"She was bit in the chest by the pit bull," CHP Officer Shaun Bouyea said. "Luckily, when I landed and made patient contact, it turned out that it was a minor injury to her chest. However, the pit bull did grab her and drag her for a significant amount of time prior to releasing her."

The girl was wearing a puffy winter jacket, which provided some protection, and the dog managed to only nick her, the CHP said. She was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.

The incident was being investigated by the Contra Costa Animal Services and the East Bay Regional Parks District, officials said.