Surfer's foot 'ripped off' by great white during horror shark attack
The man, in his 40s, suffered wounds to his leg after the attack on Friday morning.
A surfer had "his foot ripped off" by a shark at Port Macquarie on the NSW Mid North Coast and is in critical condition.
The man, aged 44, was bitten at Lighthouse Beach at 10am on Friday, suffering wounds to his lower and upper leg, a spokesperson for NSW Ambulance confirmed to Yahoo News Australia.
According to a teenage girl who witnessed the attack, the shark — reportedly a great white — was "really big". She described the man as being in complete shock when he was being helped.
"They were trying to talk to him, he was silent, he was frozen," she told NBN. "His foot ripped off and basically he was bleeding everywhere."
According to witnesses at the scene, a group of men were surfing together at the beach when the shark attacked, Nine News reports.
Surfing instructor, Loren Enfield, who was in the water at the time of the incident, said the man was quickly dragged out of the water by locals, describing the situation as "awful". "I never want to see it happen again," she told Port News.
It's understood the injuries to his legs are significant, a spokesperson for the Mid North Coast Local Health District told Yahoo. The man was transported to Port Macquarie Base Hospital where he remains.
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Shark 'attacked twice'
It's believed the animal "tried to attack the group a second time" as they attempted to paddle to shore.
Lighthouse Beach is expected to remain closed for the next 24 hours following the incident.
" The closure will likely remain in place for at least 24 hours," Port Macquarie Lifeguards said.
"A Surf Life Saving NSW drone will be operating to try to determine the size and species of the shark involved. "We hope and pray for a good outcome for the victim involved."
The incident is the latest in a string of attacks at Port Macquarie in recent years, with a 13-year-old having been mauled at Town Beach in November of 2020.
A 35-year-old was also badly injured while surfing at Shelly Beach in August of the same year. She was saved by her husband who punched the shark until it let her go.
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