Man attacked by shark at East Ballina

POLICE have confirmed a man attacked by a 4m great white shark at Ballina this morning was local surfer Matthew Lee.

POPULAR Ballina local Mathew Lee is fighting for his life after being attacked by a giant great white shark this morning.

Friends and family have rushed to the Gold Coast University Hospital to rally around the 32-year-old.

“Stay strong Lee Lee all your friends and family are praying for you mate,” Adrian Price said.

Neighbours said Mr Lee and his partner Suzy had recently moved into the quiet villa complex.

Andrew Bremner said Mr Lee went surfing almost every morning.

“He would wake up early to go surfing,” he said.

Mr Bremner pointed to Mr Lee’s small white Ford and said he usually drove to the beach.

“Sometimes he takes his dog with him and then he would come back with a few mates at lunch time and they would just chill,” he said.

He said he heard Mr Lee’s partner drove to work about 9am today but that he had not seen her since.

A 32-year-old man arrives at Gold Coast University Hospital after being mauled by a shark at Ballina this morning. Photo: Regi Varghese

EARLIER

A FOUR-metre shark is believed to have taken a man’s legs in an attack at Ballina this morning.

The 32-year-old man is in a critical condition in Gold Coast University Hospital after being attacked by a shark while bodyboarding with two friends.

It is believed the shark may have been a great white.

Local retiree Allan Everson called emergency services when he saw two young men pull a man unconscious from the water.

He said the injuries were severe.

“I didn’t want to look more than I had to because they were very damaged,” he said.

“Luckily he was wearing a full length wetsuit which kept everything together.”

He said victim was in and out of consciousness on the beach.

He said the two rescuers performed CPR and applied a tourniquet to the man’s upper leg using leg ropes.

Channel 7 Twitter image of a large shark off the coast of Ballina following a shark attack. Picture: Channel 7

Acting inspector Wayne Crotty say police and lifeguards suspect the shark is a great white.

Lifeguards have been circling an area metres from where they think they have spotted a shark.

The man arrived at Gold Coast University Hospital shortly after noon after being choppered from East Ballina following the attack, believed to be from a great white shark.

Emergency crews were called shortly after 10am to reports a 32-year-old man’s legs had been mauled by a shark by the north rock wall at East Ballina while he was bodyboarding with two friends.

Rescuers and paramedics prepare to transfer the man to a helicopter to be airlifted to Gold Coast University Hospital.

Paramedics were winched on to the beach to tend to the man before he was taken by helicopter to the Gold Coast University Hospital.

The man is understood to have suffered significant injuries to his lower legs.

The man's friends assisted him to shore before contacting emergency services.

Lighthouse Beach at Ballina remains closed after a shark attack. Photo: David Clark

All beachgoers near Ballina: Due to the suspected shark attack at Ballina please stay out of the water.

— Surf Life Saving NSW (@slsnsw) July 2, 2015

HAPPENING NOW. 32yo Ballina shark attack victim landing at GC Uni Hospital in a critical condition @7NewsBrisbane pic.twitter.com/TVSDnxwcKV

— Eammon Atkinson (@EAtkinson7) July 2, 2015

Lifesavers are conducting patrols of the area, while Light House Beach and all beaches in the Ballina Shire are closed for the next 24 hours.

Surf lifesavers search for a shark that attacked a man at Lighthouse Beach at Ballina. Photo: David Clark

The attack came months after Japanese surfer Tadashi Nakahara was torn apart by a shark while surfing at Ballina.

Mr Nakahara was killed in February by a shark while surfing at Shelly Beach around the corner from East Ballina.

Water police spent weeks hunting a 4m great white believed to be responsible for attacking the 41-year-old father of one.

People gather at Shelly Beach, Ballina to pay their respects for deceased Japanese surfer Tadashi Nakahara who tragically died following a shark attack Photographer — Brian Pamphilon

Former girlfriend Heidi Bell of Brisbane lays flowers as a tribute to shark attack victim Tadashi Nakahara at Shelly Beach Ballina Photograph: Jason O'Brien

His tragic death came one day after Jabez Reitman was dragged underwater by a shark while surfing in Byron Bay.

Mr Reitman survived but his chest and back still bear scars from the horrific ordeal.

Shark attack survivor Jabez Reitman and his wife Katherine Reitman talking about the shark attack that happened on Sunday at Byron Bay, NSW. Picture: JERAD WILLIAMS

In a meeting on March 18 this year, mayors and councillors from Ballina and Tweed Councils dismissed calls for a shark cull in the area and discussed trialling a shark repellent.

Originally published as Man attacked by shark at East Ballina