South Africa: Surfer injured in Western Cape shark incident

News Release

National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI)

25. October 2015

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Surfer, bitten by a shark, airlifted to hospital

Enrico Menezies, NSRI Still Bay station commander, said: At 15h00, Sunday, 25th October, NSRI Still Bay duty crew were activated following reports from NSRI Still Bay crew members reporting a local 42 year old man bitten by a shark while surfing at Morris Reef, Still Bay (in front of the Still Bay sea rescue base).

2 NSRI Still Bay crew members were surfing in the vicinity at the time and they assisted the local man out of the water and they were also assisted by another member of the public.

The 2 NSRI Still Bay volunteers immediately accessed the emergency shark medical kits kept at beaches in Still Bay and began to use the medical equipment in the boxes to treat the man’s injuries while activating an emergency response.

NSRI Still Bay duty crew responded to the scene and the injured man was brought into the sea rescue base where medical treatment continued.

WC Government Health EMS and the AMS/EMS Skymed helicopter responded and paramedics took over treatment of the man.

The man is being airlifted to hospital aboard the Skymed helicopter in a serious but stable condition suffering lacerations to his right leg on the calf, knee and hip. The patient remained conscious throughout and he is in good spirits.

From descriptions given by the surfer it is suspected that a White shark of about 3 to 3.5 meters was involved in the encounter although that cannot be confirmed until investigated by authorities based on the bite marks.

Source: NSRI