Australian authorities are warning people to stay out of New South Wales coastal waters after four shark attacks occurred in the past three days.
The most recent incident happened Tuesday when a shark attacked a surfer at Point Plomer and damaged his surfboard, Fox News reported.
The man escaped with minor cuts. Matt Worrall, captain of the Kempsey–Crescent Head Surf Life Saving Club, said the board took most of the impact. Worrall noted the man got to shore and locals helped him get to a hospital for treatment where medical staff eventually released him.
The Fox article continued:
The latest incident follows a string of attacks along the New South Wales coast. On Sunday and Monday, a man and a boy suffered critical leg injuries in separate attacks near Sydney, while another boy escaped unharmed after a shark bit his surfboard.
Authorities closed beaches along New South Wales’ northern coast and in northern Sydney, saying the closures would remain in place for at least 48 hours. Electronic drumlines designed to alert officials to the presence of large sharks were deployed offshore.
“We do get a lot of shark sightings, or people being bumped by sharks, but to have four incidents where all the victims have been actually attacked by sharks is really uncommon,” explained Steve Pearce, the head of NSW Surf Life Saving, per CNN.
“We have major runoff coming from every creek and every outlet into the beaches. This is prime conditions for bull shark activity,” Pearce added.
The boy who suffered severe injuries is in critical condition at Sydney Children’s Hospital, according to 7News Australia. The child’s friends rescued him, and one official said, “The actions of his mates, who had gone into the water to pull him out have been nothing but brave.”
“The boy had lost his pulse. There was a large blood loss. As the police boat drove off at high speed, they were still doing CPR on the boat, hanging on, but keeping that boy alive,” the official added.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.