Photo: Gerald Schombs // Unsplash
Several popular beaches in Western Australia have been closed after a surfer was bitten by a great white shark in the Margaret River region. The surfer sustained a non-life threatening injury to his leg and was transported to a hospital, where he is in stable condition, according to the Daily Mail reports.
“A male surfer was bitten by a suspected white shark at approximately 8:45 a.m. today – Monday, 24 July 2023,” a spokesperson for Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) told SkyNews.com.au on Monday afternoon.
The attack happened at Gnarabup Beach near the Boat Ramp surfing spot in the Margaret River region. The surfer, in his early 20s, sustained a deep gash to his leg, from what is suspected to be a great white. After the bite, he managed to swim to shore where he received first aid from an off-duty nurse. An onlooker told the West Australian the surfer appeared calm after he made it to shore and sought help at a nearby cafe.
He was driven to Margaret River Hospital in a private vehicle and has since been transferred by ambulance to Bunbury, where he’s in a stable condition with non-life threatening injuries.
As a result, Officers from the Shire of Augusta Margaret River have closed beaches from Gas Bay to Margaret River Mouth. The DPIRD is advising the public to take additional caution in the Gnarabup and Prevelly areas and are working with local authorities to coordinate responses.
