Kite-surfer bitten by shark in Papua New Guinea

Shark Year Magazine,
12. September 2011.

Thomas Viot (30) was attacked by a shark while kite-surfing near Port Moresby, the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea (PNG).

According to ‘News 24’, the incident occurred on a reef at Hula, south of the PNG capital on Sunday afternoon.

The French diplomat who is working for the European Union in Papua New Guinea suffered injuries to his right leg (photo) by what he believed was a 2m tiger shark.

The victim was airlifted to Australia on Monday.

Before being evacuated to Brisbane, he told AFP from hospital in Port Moresby:”I managed to ride back with my kite-surf. It was bleeding very badly and I don’t know how but I managed to ride back. I lost a lot of blood and the leg needs to have surgery.”

Mr. Viot was surfing with two doctor friends visiting from France – a plastic surgeon and general practitioner. They were able to give first aid during the two-hour trip back to Port Moresby.

Another friend Christian Lohberger said: “He was wave-riding in big waves about a kilometre or so offshore when something knocked him off his board and when he surfaced there was a bad cut on his right leg.The shark appeared to have launched itself out of the water at him to take his leg out “.

Thomas Viot has been in PNG for two-and-a-half years and said there were always “plenty” of sharks at the reef, but he did not see the creature before it struck. He vowed to return to kite-surfing once he had recovered.

Source:News 24

 

 

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