Tourist's foot bitten off in Queensland shark attack

A shark has bitten off a man’s foot in Queensland's Whitsunday Islands.

The shark attacked two English tourists while they were snorkelling on a boat tour with ZigZag Whitsundays at about 10.20am on Tuesday.

The tourists have been identified as Alistair Raddon, 28, and Danny Maggs, 22.

Both men were transported by RACQ rescue helicopter to Mackay Base Hospital, in a serious but stable condition after the attack.

Manager of Operations Mackay LASN, Tracey Eastwick told reporters at a press conference this afternoon the shark attacked one of the backpackers before turning its attention on the other.

“The first patient is 22 years of age and has a calf injury - laceration to his right calf,” Ms Eastwick said.

“The second patient is 28 years of age and he received an amputation to his right foot.”

Ms Eastwick said it was unclear if the two men were travelling together and it is unknown which of the two men was attacked first.

The boat made the call to emergency services from a popular snorkelling spot, Hook Passage, about 20 minutes offshore from Airlie Beach, according to AAP.

The men were then transported by boat to shore and were the treated by paramedics at the Coral Sea Marina before being airlifted to Mackay Base Hospital.

The tour company, ZigZag thanked emergency services for their swift response tending to their injured guests.

"We are saddened to confirm that two of our guests were injured in a shark attack this morning. Our thoughts are with them, their families and the other guests on the tour," ZigZag said in a statement, according to AAP.

A series of recent shark attacks in Queensland’s Whitsundays

The Whitsundays region was the site of a number of shark attacks last year.

Daniel Christidis, a 33-year-old man from Victoria, died last November after being attacked at Cid Harbour at Whitsunday Island during a trip with friends and colleagues.

Two separate attacks happened within 24 hours of each other in September last year - also at Cid Harbour.

Tasmanian woman Justine Barwick was attacked by a tiger shark, and was hospitalised with a serious leg wound.

Hannah Papps, a 12-year-old from Victoria was also attacked and had her leg amputated.

Earlier this year a man was bitten on the thigh in waters at Hardy Reef, about 50km northeast of Hamilton Island.

Whitsundays locals and tourists need protection, MP says

Whitsundays MP Jason Costigan said all levels of the government were failing to protect locals and tourists in the area.

"We are going to have more and more of this happening until governments put public safety as their number one priority," he told AAP.

Mr Costigan also said the entire area should be protected by a shark control program.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she believed the federal government should change the laws to allow drum lines be put back into the Great Barrier Reef Park Authority.

"I will not shy away from my stance that the drum lines need to go back in," she told reporters

A spokesman for Fisheries Minister Mark Furner said the area was not part of the controversial shark controlled program which was suspended earlier this year.

"Airlie Beach has never been covered by the shark control program," he told AAP.

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