A 44-year-old man is undergoing emergency surgery and remains in a critical condition after he was bitten by a white shark on the state's Mid North Coast.
Key points:
- A man, 44, is currently being treated at Port Macquarie Hospital with leg injuries
- Paramedics were called to Lighthouse Beach at Port Macquarie at 10am
- The NSW Department of Primary Industries says a white shark between 3.8 and 4.2 metres long attacked the man
Police have confirmed the man is in surgery at Port Macquarie Base Hospital, with serious injuries to both legs.
Paramedics were called to Lighthouse Beach at Port Macquarie around 10am.
Police said the man was injured at Watonga Rocks, south of Tacking Point, by a white shark between 3.8 and 4.2 metres long.
He was able to swim to shore, where he was assisted by surfers.
Chief Inspector Martin Burke, from the Mid North Coast Police District, said an off-duty doctor provided vital first-aid on the beach while waiting for paramedics.
"There was an off-duty emergency doctor who was on the scene, and he's assisted with other members of the public to apply a tourniquet to the man's leg," he said.
"Our advice is that that's absolutely crucial.
"To have the absolute luck of having an emergency department doctor [and the public] on scene, are all going to be key things that are going to lend itself to giving this gentleman the best chance of survival."
The attack, believed to have lasted about 30 seconds, was described by police as "sustained and prolonged".
Lifeguard coordinator James Turnham said bystanders reacted quickly to the incident.
"There were a lot of surfers here at the time who were able to assist this guy to shore and assist with first aid until the paramedics arrived," he said.
The beach is not patrolled at this time of year.
Beaches closed
Lighthouse Beach and beaches in the area will remain closed until further notice.
"It's all about public safety now. We know there's been an incident; we want to keep people out of the water," Mr Turnham said.
While shark nets are not used in the Port Macquarie-Hastings local government area, 15 smart drum lines are in place that allow sharks to be tagged and released.
There is also a listening station in the area, which triggers an alert to the NSW government's Shark Smart app when a tagged shark swims past.
Drone monitors area
The Australian Lifeguard Service has installed signs nearby warning people against swimming.
The local surf lifesaving club monitored the area with a drone in the hours after the incident.
A NSW Department of Primary Industries spokesperson said no sharks had been spotted so far, but shortly after the incident a bronze whaler shark was caught on a SMART drumline at Lighthouse Beach.
Figures provided to the ABC by the department last month showed the number of target species sharks caught by smart drumlines.
In the 12 months to June 19 this year, 75 white sharks were hooked in the Port Macquarie-Hastings area.
White sharks are listed as a "vulnerable and migratory" species in Australia, according to the CSIRO.
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2023-08-25 05:48:45Z
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