Australia has seen its third shark attack in weeks, its second in two days. David Pickering, injured off the northwest coast, said he beat off a tiger shark with his left arm Thursday when it had grabbed his right one.
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A surfer dragged from his board and mauled by a two-metre shark was circled by the predator as he tried to make it back to shore.
Glen Folkard, 44, known as “Lenny”, is in a stable and lucid condition in John Hunter Hospital today after being attacked while surfing off Redhead Beach, south of Newcastle, Wednesday afternoon.
Believed to be a bull shark, it took a large chunk out of Mr Folkard’s thigh as well as his board before dragging him underwater, witnesses said.
He was able to shake himself free and get to the surface. Several surfers came to his aid as he tried to paddle to safety and helped him catch a wave into shore.
More than 100 people were in the water when the shark attacked. Witnesses in the surf said Mr Folkard was lying on his board about 20 metres from a large group of surfers when the shark struck about 4.40pm.
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A man was attacked by a shark while surfing on North Avoca Beach this evening, the surf lifesaving club says. The victim was a 28-year-old man who lived near the beach, according to Rick Parsons, president of the North Avoca Surf Lifesaving Club.
Mr Parsons speculated that it could have been a bronze whaler, which was recently sighted at nearby Terrigal Beach. He said the attack was extremely uncommon. “I’ve never known of a shark attack on North Avoca and I’ve been involved with the surf club for the past 20 years,” he said.
The man reported feeling his hand pulled under his board while he was in shallow surf about 8pm. Paramedics treated the man for a 5cm puncture wound to his forearm and another wound to his wrist. He was taken to Gosford hospital in a stable condition. A hospital spokesman said the man would be kept overnight for observation.
Witnesses reported the man saying that the shark was brown and about as long as his surfboard.
The Westpac Life Saver Helicopter said it will patrol the beach tomorrow at 6.30am to search for the shark.
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A surfer has had a lucky escape after a shark took a bite out of his board while he was in the sea off the coast of Australia.
Stephen King was taking an early morning surf near the village of Angourie in New South Wales when the shark swam up and lunged at him.
He quickly pulled his legs out of the water, saving them from major injury, and escaped with only minor puncture wounds.
His board fared less well, ending up with a large chunk out of one side and in two pieces.
He has agreed to allow his board to be displayed in a local museum.
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Authorities are hunting a shark that killed a 32-year-old American man at Rottnest Island, off the coast of Western Australia.
Police say the man, who had arrived in the state earlier this year for work, was diving and spear fishing on Saturday afternoon when it is believed he was attacked by the three-metre shark.
WA Premier Colin Barnett described the man’s death as “tragic” and ordered that the shark responsible to be caught and killed.
“Within an hour of that situation occurring the Fisheries Minister [Norman Moore] and the State Government authorised that the shark be caught and destroyed, if possible, and the fisheries officers are now attempting to do that,” he said.
The man’s death off the island’s Little Armstrong Bay is the second shark fatality in WA within two weeks, after 64-year-old Bryn Martin was killed at Perth’s Cottesloe Beach on October 10.
Water Police Senior Sergeant Greg Trew said police received a call on Saturday afternoon that the shark victim had surfaced in “a flurry of bubbles”.
He said the American citizen had “fairly horrific injuries” and was believed to be dead when he was pulled from the water by his diving companions.
The attack happened about one kilometre off the north of Rottnest, a popular holiday island near Perth, when the man was diving alone from a 25-metre vessel.
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A man died after he was attacked by a shark at a popular South-West beach Sunday afternoon.
Police have confirmed the 21-year-old man was from the eastern states but had been based in Wilyabrup, three hours south of Perth, for several years.
Police are in the process of contacting his next-of-kin. The man’s girlfriend was believed to have just gone overseas.
The victim was bodyboarding with a friend at a surfing break known as The Boneyards near Bunker Bay when he was taken by a shark, believed to be a white pointer.
At least five other surfers from Bunbury were in the water, just metres from the victim when the attack happened, but nobody actually saw the attack according to Dunsborough Sergeant Craig Anderson.
Sergeant Anderson described those who pulled the victim from the water as courgeous. “You’ve got to take your hat off to the young fellow who was surfing with him and his mate for bringing [the victim] ashore, the nature of his injuries was significant, it’s not something that even volunteer rescuers or emergency services like to see,” he said.
Dunsborough man Kurt Morris was having lunch at the Bunker Bay Cafe with his family when he saw chaos erupt on the beach.
Mr Morris said he spoke to the surfers who were just metres from the attack.
“There were three blokes from Bunbury they were next to him when it happened,” he said.
“They were saying they were just two metres away from him.
“From the waist down, it was just all gone.”
Mr Morris said the group that pulled the man from water were visibly shaken.
He said surfers were sprinting out of the water to their cars, driving to nearby surfing breaks to let others know of the shark attack.
The attack was believed to have happened at a popular break known as The Boneyards, about 50 metres from the shore.
“It was not that far off the shore. No one is going back in the water,” Mr Morris said.
Sergeant Graham Clifford said police and ambulance arrived at the beach shortly after the attack at 1.26pm today.
Police have identified the man, however it would not be publicly released until his next of kin was notified.
The beach has been closed and Dunsborough police are at the scene. The station’s officer in charge is expected to be making a statement at 4pm.
Read more: http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/shark-attack-at-popular-southwest-beach-20110904-1js3y.html#ixzz1WzUZy1KW
A Victorian builder was found dead in shark-infested waters off the Queensland coast. The 48-year-old man’s body was found mauled by sharks, 13 hours after he went missing, off Palm Island.
Five helicopters and the Water Police searched for almost eight hours before recovering the body. The man was last seen on Fantome Island, part of the Palm Island group – 65 kilometres off Townsville. He and three friends were enjoying a day out, when their boat floated away. Emergency Management Queensland’s Allan Jefferson said: “Four of them went swimming out to the boat, three of them made it and the fourth one never got there.
“The person has gone into the water to retrieve the boat last night and has not returned.”
Police were alerted around 7.30pm and scoured the waters, along with a rescue helicopter until 1am.
Search efforts intensified at first light, with five helicopters from Townsville, Cairns, and Rockhampton combining efforts with the coastguard and other fishermen.
It is still unclear whether the man drowned or was taken by sharks first.
“We noticed a very big shark in the search area this morning,” Allan said.
Inspector Ian Houghton, of Townsville Police, said: “The body was retrieved from water by the water police.
“The exact cause of death will be determined at a later time.”
It is hoped an autopsy will provide hope for loved ones.
Police are now in the process of contacting the man’s family. It is believed he is from Victoria working in North Queensland on refurbishment’s in the Palm Island region.
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A 15-year-old boy has died in New Caledonia after being attacked by a shark while kitesurfing, a report said on Monday.
The teenager, named only as Nathan, was surfing with his father and friends off Koumac village in the north of the archipelago when he fell in the water, the New Caledonian said.
While swimming to recover his board, he was attacked by the shark, which mauled his leg. He was rushed to a hospital but did not survive.
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A teenager has been flown to Perth for surgery after being bitten by a shark he lured towards the shore.
The boy was bitten on the left heel while he was cleaning fish at Red Bluff, 140 kilometres north of Carnarvon, about 9:00pm.
The manager of a nearby campsite, Bec Caldwell, says the teenager used the carcass of a fish to lure the 3 ft reef shark towards him.
She says the boy was bitten when he was knocked over by a wave.
The boy spent the night in the town’s hospital and is being transferred to Perth.
Another man was bitten on the finger by a reef shark today when he put his hand into its mouth to pose for a photo.
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An 11.5-foot Great White Shark was spotted lurking less than 30 feet away from the shoreline off the coast of Australia.
The shark was seen at the same beach where a wakeboarder was mauled last month.
Tracey Lowe filmed the massive fish on her digital camera.
She had been celebrating her wedding anniversary at Hawk’s Nest, just north of Newcastle, when she saw a shadow in the surf.
“We were just about to dive into that area when we saw the shadows moving around,” Lowe said.
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