Shark victim in stable condition after being bitten by a shark at Port Noarlunga
A woman remains in a stable condition after being bitten on the face by a shark at Port Noarlunga beach, marking the third shark attack in SA waters within a month.
SA News
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A 32-year-old woman remains in a stable condition after being mauled in the head and face by a shark near the popular Port Noarlunga jetty on Friday just after 1.20pm.
Witnesses described how the woman’s face was gushing with blood after a shark attack caused the evacuation of the packed metropolitan beach.
She was treated at the scene for a period of time then rushed to the Flinders Medical Centre in a serious but stable condition.
The woman was reportedly free diving with a friend near a reef as record temperatures attracted thousands of people to the state’s beaches on Friday.
Swimmers were evacuated from the water while a search for the shark started.
The Westpac Lifesaver rescue helicopter was dispatched to help search for the shark, as well as the Surf Life Saving SA jet rescue boat and nine jet skis, but it couldn’t be found, police said – PIRSA were also notified of the incident.
A spokesperson for SA Police and State Emergency Services said the search had concluded on Friday and they did not anticipate resuming the search on Saturday.
A teenage witness said they could see “all the blood” as first responders and paramedics helped the woman on to tarps before putting her in an ambulance.
“There were so many people around her,” said the teen.
“Her face was gushing with blood. “One guy was freaking out, he also had blood on his face.”
Indie Corbett, 16, of Port Noarlunga, said it all unfolded just 50m from the shore in front of school kids.
“We were out there and just saw this guy grab this woman, drag her back in and just started screaming for help,” she said.
“The people from the aquatic centre helped pull her up and just put towels around her before taking her off.
“It’s pretty scary, there’s never any sharks here. It wasn’t that far out, people are still jetty jumping, kids are swimming … we’re always here so to see a shark attack this close to home, I only live up on the cliff – it’s quite scary.”
Leah Johnson was taking a nap on the beach when she woke to the sound of screams.
“I just heard people screaming, ‘there’s coppers!’ she said.
“I looked up to see this woman basically wrapped in tarp … there was blood on the side of her head.
“When they brought her up to the ambulance, you could see the tissues and the blood.
“There was a lot of blood. No one knew it was a shark attack.”
The frightening incident is the third shark attack in SA waters in a month, and the first at a metropolitan beach.
The attack is the fourth this year in SA, and comes after a great white shark killed 55-year-old male surfer Tod Gendle in a frenzied attack near Granite Rock – near Streaky Bay on November 1.
Shocked witnesses, including some of Gendle’s friends, told of how a “f**king monster” great white shark mauled the surfer, dragging him under water.
The victim’s family later released a statement, thanking friends, the local community and emergency services for their support following the attack.
“We wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the police and volunteers for their dedicated efforts in the recent days,” they said.
“We extend our appreciation to his friends and the local community of Streaky Bay, who had the chance to know Tod.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were with Tod on that day.
It was the second fatal shark attack in SA water this year after the death in May of popular local teacher Simon Baccanello, 46, who was killed off the West Coast town of Elliston. Remnants of a wetsuit were found during an extensive search but Mr Baccanello’s body has not been located.
And in October this year, 64-year-old grandmother Pam Cook was seriously injured when a juvenile great white shark, with jaws “the width of a basketball”, attacked her during a daily swim with about 20 friends near Beachport jetty, at 7.45am on October 2.
She sustained a bite to her right ankle, her left thigh and injuries to arms and hands, which resulted in five-and-a-half-hours of surgery at Mt Gambier hospital.
Surf Life Saving SA worked alongside SAPOL to search for the shark, which continued until sundown.
Dr Brianna Le Busque, an expert in shark conservation, said that while sightings were rare in Port Noarlunga, a shark in the area was not unheard of.
“Not knowing what species of shark it was does make it difficult to definitively analyse its behaviour, but it’s not necessarily unexpected to have sharks in the area,” Dr Le Buque said.
Dr Le Busque said it was “strange” for a surfer to receive facial injuries from a shark, but if the woman had been jumping off the jetty, it would be less so.
“Jumping into the water might have startled the shark and caused it to react defensively, which is definitely plausible to explain a head injury,” she said.
Surf Life Saving South Australia’s Lifesaving and Emergency Operations Manager Sean Faulkner said they sent its “thoughts and well wishes” to the victim of the attack.
Mr Faulkner said it was a timely reminder about the “unpredictable nature of the ocean” and warned swimmers to take care and swim between the red and yellow flags.
Originally published as Shark victim in stable condition after being bitten by a shark at Port Noarlunga
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