A surfer at a New South Wales beach fought off a great white shark and swam back to shore while suffering from serious leg injuries, police say.
The 44-year-old man was in hospital in a critical condition on Friday night after he was bitten by a shark at Lighthouse beach at 10am in Port Macquarie in northern NSW.
The man was surfing near Watonga Rocks when he was bitten by what other surfers have described as a shark and sustained injuries to his upper and lower leg, NSW police said.
The beach remains closed until further notice, as Surf Life Saving NSW drones determine the size and species of the shark involved.
Police chief inspector Martin Burke said the surfer managed to fight off the predator.
“The reports are the man has tried to fight this shark for up to 30 seconds and has then swum himself to shore where he has realised he has sustained significant lower leg injuries,” he told radio station 2GB.
Police have said the man’s injuries are life-threatening.
The shark was believed to be a great white about 3.8 metres to 4.2 metres long, police said.
The man was assisted to shore where a tourniquet was applied by witnesses, before he was treated by paramedics, according to NSW police.
The man was then transported to Port Macquarie base hospital. A NSW Health spokesperson said he remains in a critical condition.
Port Macquarie Hastings surf life saving lifeguards said “we hope and pray for a good outcome for the victim involved”.
Lighthouse beach is unpatrolled at this time of year, with regular surf lifesaving patrols due to start in a few weeks’ time for the school holidays.
Port Macquarie Hastings Council has 15 smart drumlines deployed along the region’s coast, with two drones and a listening station also deployed to detect the tagged sharks.
A number of great white sharks have been tagged and released in the area recently, including a 2.28-metre shark at nearby Shelly Beach on Tuesday and a 2.96-metre shark at North Shore Beach on Saturday.
Lighthouse Beach has been closed following the incident and is expected to remain off-limits for another 24 hours, according to local lifeguards who said a drone had been sent up to find the shark and determine its size and species.
– with Australian Associated Press
