Hunt for sharks responsible for two horror attacks in Whitsundays
The hunt is underway for the sharks responsible for two near-fatal attacks in the pristine waters of the Whitsundays.
Drum lines have been set to catch the animals as the victims were flown to Brisbane for life-saving care.
With family at her side, 12-year-old Melbourne girl Hannah Papps arrived in Brisbane from Mackay Base Hospital, alive but severely injured.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service delivered her to the specialist care she needs after her holiday turned to horror.
Her attack followed Tasmanian tourist Justine Barwick, also transported from Mackay Base Hospital after being bitten by a shark the day before.
“It is very unprecedented for Mackay Base Hospital to have two patients bitten by sharks,” Dr Pieter Nel said.
Both were attacked by a shark at Cid Harbour, with the rescue of both victims conducted by the RACQ CQ chopper.
Fisheries officers are now patrolling Cid Harbour, placing three baited drum lines in the water around Sawmill Bay.
Fisheries Department spokesman Jeff Krause said that if a caught shark was deemed to be dangerous, with a history of attacking humans, it would be “humanely euthanised”.
No species has been identified as being responsible, but tiger sharks are among those being targeted on the lines.
It’s the first time lines have been set in the area, with some charter boat operators questioning the lack of warning they received following the first attack.
No official notification was given, so the message wasn’t passed on to all boats and people continued to swim.
The warnings are now firm, with authorities saying the best advice is to keep out of the water for the time being.
The lines will remain in the water over the weekend and there’s pressure from some to find a permanent solution.
“We really need a concerted effort to hunt dangerous sharks out of those waters, not just at Cid Harbour but around the Whitsundays,” Liberal MP and Member for Dawson George Christensen said.
For the two attack victims, the road to recovery looks long.
Vascular surgeons and plastic surgeons are trying to save Justine Barwick’s leg, and doctors say she may need to learn to walk again.
Her two daughters plan to fly from Tasmania to Queensland when their mother is less heavily sedated.
The family of Hannah Papps released a statement on Friday thanking everyone involved in their daughter’s care.
She is in a critical but stable condition at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.
