Mounties are searching for a suspect following a terrifying sexual assault on a woman in Surrey's Guildford area.

The RCMP said the victim was knocked to the ground and groped by an unknown man shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday near 148 Street and 101A Avenue. Fortunately, she wasn't physically harmed.

"The victim's screams caught the attention of nearby residents who scared off the assailant before police arrived," Cpl. Scotty Schumann said in a news release.

The suspect is believed to have followed the woman after she stepped off a bus at 104 Avenue.

He's described as a white man, about 35 years old, with a medium build. He was wearing a black hoodie with the hood up.

Surrey RCMP's Special Victims Unit is investigating the incident, and anyone with information on what happened is asked to come forward.