Samuel Nai in hospital fighting for life after Torres Strait shark attack
The tiny community of Masig Island is praying for the speedy recovery of a boy who remains in hospital with horrific injuries after being attacked by a shark. Here’s how it unfolded and how you can help.
The tiny community of Masig Island in the Torres Strait is praying for the speedy recovery of a 14-year-old boy who remains in hospital with horrific injuries after being attacked by a shark at Thursday Island.
Tagai State College student Samuel Nai was fishing with older relatives in shallow water at the northern edge of Thursday Island when he reportedly fell from the rocks into waist-deep water.
The boy’s uncle, who asked that his name be withheld, said his nephew was aware of the danger posed by crocs and sharks and knew the coastline around Cook Esplanade was not safe for swimming.
“He fell into the water at the wrong time and a juvenile tiger shark bit him,” he said.
“It happened so fast and they all moved swiftly and everything happened but everybody knew what they had to do to save my nephew’s life.”
The uncle said a roll of Glad Wrap was used to help stop intense bleeding from Samuel’s abdomen and the plywood floor of a nearby dinghy was used as a makeshift stretcher to carry the injured boy up the beach.
“My older nephew used his body as a shield, the other nephew was telling my older nephew the shark is coming again,” he said.
“He didn’t know where the shark was due to the blood in the water.
“They wrapped him up with something and my son took his shirt off to protect his stomach from the rocks.
“He did not show signs of fear or was not crying, the only thing he said was, ‘Get me out of this water’, and that helped him to survive.”
The uncle said the Mosby and Nai families were still in shock and their anguish was not helped by an outpouring of hurtful and victim-blaming comments on social media.
“Its so upsetting how the social media platform is telling his story and it’s not true and very hurtful,” he said.
In a statement, the boy’s parents extended their gratitude to everyone who came to Samuel’s aid, from the first responders to the medical teams who transported him and the health care professionals who are now caring for him.
“This is a traumatic time for our family. Our focus is on our son’s recovery and we ask that the media and public please respect our privacy,” the family stated.
The family has started a crowd-funding appeal on the GoFundMe platform to help with medical, travel and accommodation costs that has so far raised $4000.
On Monday afternoon, the boy was scheduled for emergency surgery and was considered to still be in a critical but stable condition, according to a spokesman at Townsville University Hospital.
Originally published as Samuel Nai in hospital fighting for life after Torres Strait shark attack
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