A young surfer was left fighting for his life after a horrific shark attack on a Sydney beach, with eyewitnesses describing how he was "silenced from the pain" as blood covered his surfboard.
The Attack at North Steyne Beach
The incident occurred at North Steyne Beach near Manly in New South Wales on Monday evening, shortly after 6pm. The victim, an unnamed man in his late 20s, was surfing when he was brutally bitten on the leg. Emergency services rushed to the scene following desperate reports of the attack.
One of the rescuers, who was in the water at the time, provided a chilling account to the Manly Observer. He described how the surfer had just paddled out and was sitting on his board barely ten metres away when the shark struck. "He just got done," the bystander said.
A Desperate Rescue and Critical Injuries
The rescuer and his friend immediately acted, pulling the injured man onto a surfboard and pushing him towards shore. The board was covered in blood from the severe lacerations to the surfer's leg. Throughout the frantic paddle to safety, the victim was conscious but utterly overwhelmed.
"The guy was silenced from the pain, but still conscious, and I kept telling him to not look at his leg and we just kept paddling," the rescuer recounted. The significant blood loss and trauma from the bite caused the man to suffer a cardiac arrest before he reached the beach.
Upon reaching the sand, the rescuers screamed for help, calling for a tourniquet as the lifeguards were off duty. A nurse who was on the beach rushed to assist, providing critical first aid before paramedics arrived. The surfer was transported to hospital in a critical condition.
A Spate of Shark Encounters in NSW
Monday's terrifying attack was one of several shark incidents to rock New South Wales over a short period. On Sunday, a 12-year-old boy lost both legs after being mauled by a shark when he jumped from a ledge near Shark Beach in Sydney Harbour. He was saved by the quick actions of two friends.
Earlier on Monday, just hours before the North Steyne attack, an 11-year-old boy had a chunk bitten out of his surfboard by a shark at another location. He remarkably escaped without physical injury.
These consecutive events have heightened concerns among the local surfing and beach-going community, highlighting the ever-present risks in Australian waters.
