A lone surfer sits at the river mouth at Bali’s Balian Beach. Photo: Gavin G
An American surfer is intensive care today after being attacked by a shark in Bali on Monday.
At about 7 a.m. on Monday morning, a surfer known as Ryan from San Diego, California was attacked by a shark at Balian in western Bali. According to reports, the surfer was bitten on his elbow and forearm, before riding a wave to the beach, where he was taken to the hospital by local surfers.
Twiggy Van Ryan, 47, a local resident from Cronulla, Australia was having breakfast on the beach when he noticed the surfer exiting the water holding his elbow.
“I thought he just injured himself and his girlfriend came running up the beach and said it was a shark attack,” Van Ryan told news.com.au. Twiggy, along with a few others, including the victim’s German girlfriend, rushed the man to the hospital where he was treated for moderate to severe injuries.
“As much as I was trying to help, I didn’t stop to consider how much blood he’d already lost. He blacked out on the beach for a little while, less than a minute,” he said.
“I guess the most unnerving thing was that there have been a few attacks up here in Bali. This one was what I would refer to as a more aggressive manner. It wasn’t easy to call it a mistake. Other people had been bitten on the hand or foot in murky water, this one had more of an aggressive undertone to it.”
Photo: Albert Kok
Van Ryan said it was likely to have been a bull shark as the surfing spot was just outside a river mouth, where bull sharks have been known to stroll the area.
Van Ryan took to Facebook, saying that he had spoken to friends of the victim who claimed Ryan was in good spirits after surgery.
“I spoke to friends of the bite victim and he is recovering well after surgery, good news they say no ligament damage just heaps of stitches and major bruising, muscle tears etc.”
We are wishing Ryan a speedy recovery.
