Photo: Nick Atkins // Instagram
Usually shark attacks are a one-and-done affair, but an encounter this weekend was different. Dramatic video posted to social media shows a shark pursuing a group of rescuers after biting a 16-year-old swimmer at a beach in New South Wales, Australia this weekend.
Emergency services were called to Norris Headland at Cabarita Beach just before 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, after a 16-year-old was attacked by a shark while swimming. “At this stage I’m unsure of the severity of injuries, but I’m told there were traumatic injuries to the right arm and right leg,” said NSW Surf Lifesaving CEO Stephen Pearce to ABC News.
Videos on social media depict a dramatic scene of a group of surfers and beachgoers carrying the victim back to shore. One clip even appears to show the shark continuing to give chase, with its fin cutting through shallow water just behind them. They managed to safely transport the teen to the sand, where they applied a tourniquet to his wounds before emergency services arrived.
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“Unbelievable footage shows the two-meter plus shark chasing the victim and his rescuers all the way to the shoreline today at Cabarita Headland,” wrote Nick Atkins on Instagram. “Huge effort by the guys to not only save this kid but put their own lives on the line in the process.”
From there, the victim was flown to a Gold Coast hospital in “serious but stable condition.” Meanwhile, authorities cleared the water and patrolled the area by air to monitor for shark activity, with none found. The beach will remain closed until at least Monday.
“Cabarita Beach is a beautiful, picturesque beach and unfortunately I think it might be a case of ‘wrong time, wrong place’ at this stage for the young fella,” added Pearce.
