A surfer is in a serious condition after suffering deep lacerations to his leg in a shark attack at Nambucca Heads on the New South Wales mid north coast.
The 36-year-old was surfing near a breakwall at the river mouth when the attack happened about 7:00am.
A spokesperson for Surf Life Saving NSW, Donna Wishart, said three or four surfers were in the water at the time of the attack.
“One of them has seen him disappear under the water, with a flume of water spraying up and then the victim has lifted his arm up to indicate he was having a problem,” she said.
The surfers dragged the man up onto the rocks of the breakwall where a long-standing member of the Nambucca Heads Surf Lifesaving Club applied a tourniquet.
Ms Wishart said a pod of dolphins had been seen in the area before the attack.
NSW Ambulance Chief Inspector Brian Parsell said the man suffered five deep lacerations to his lower leg.
Chief Inspector Parsell said the man lost “a fair amount of blood” in the attack and received a blood transfusion at the scene before being airlifted to hospital.
The helicopter crew were going to stop en route at Port Macquarie to pick up more blood products, he said.
“The most important priority for this gentleman is to stabilise the bleeding, get that under control as best we can, but what we do know is he needs to be rushed to theatres on arrival at John Hunter Hospital.
A spokeswoman from the NSW Department of Primary Industries said authorities were not sure what type of shark was responsible for the attack.
She said the man’s injuries would be inspected to help determine the species.
Beaches in the area have been closed and extra aerial and jet ski patrols are being conducted.
