Man suffers serious bite wounds to leg after shark attack
A MAN severely injured by a shark off Hinchinbrook Island was attacked the moment he hit the water.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said the man was spearfishing off the far north Queensland island and jumped from a rock into the water, where the shark immediately attacked.
He was being taken to Cairns Hospital in a critical but stable condition.
The man, 26, had “very severe” injuries.
Paramedics were called about 10.30am.
Cardwell shark attack victim has arrived at Cairns hospital pic.twitter.com/NoIn6dWGCj
— Casey Briggs (@CaseyBriggs) February 18, 2017
It is understood the attack was witnessed by nearby swimmers and that the man had lost a significant amount of blood.
The witnesses said they believed the shark was either a bull shark or a tiger shark.
Officer in charge of the Cardwell ambulance station, Martin Taylor, said the man was rescued by his three friends, whose actions had “definitely” saved his life.
“The patient in question was spear fishing on one of the reefs outside Cardwell and he was in the water with three friends (when attacked),” he said.
“The friends have immediately pulled him out of the water and applied emergency first aid – a tourniquet high and tight around his femur – and stopped the subsequent bleeding, which was quite significant.”
Shark attack victim has arrived at Cairns hospital after initial treatment at Hinchinbrook boat ramp. Male patient critical @7NewsQueensland pic.twitter.com/tSbeYk6Qwd
— Chris Campey (@Chris_Campey) February 18, 2017
Mr Taylor said paramedics were told to meet a boat at Port Hinchinbrook jetty, which would have the injured 26-year-old on board.
Fire fighters helped paramedics extricate the man from the boat and get him to a nearby sports field to meet the rescue chopper.
Mr Taylor praised the heroic actions of the man’s friends.
“From what I’ve been told, he was in the water, he’s been hit, they’ve heard a noise, they’ve dragged him in as soon as they’ve realised what’s gone on,” he said.
“The initial actions by the three friends have definitely saved this gentleman’s life.”
In 2015, a Melbourne woman disappeared after falling from a houseboat moored off Hinchinbrook Island.
At the time, police said the waterway was “teeming” with dangerous wildlife, including various shark species and crocodiles.
Man treated for shark attack in north Qld0:20
A 25yo man is reportedly being treated with leg injuries after a shark attack in Cardwell, North Queensland