Wamberal: Surfer Hayden Edwards describes moment he was bitten by a shark
Surfer Hayden Edwards has described the moment his “perfect day became a nightmare” when he was bitten on the hand by a “6 foot shark”.
Central Coast
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Surfer Hayden Edwards will have surgery to reconnect tendons today after he was bitten on the hand while surfing at Wamberal Beach on Monday.
The 38-year-old approached Central Coast Council Lifeguards at around 10.15am and an ambulance was called.
The man was treated at the scene before being rushed to Gosford Hospital in a stable condition with a large cut to his hand.
Dorsal Shark Reports – Australia has logged the incident as a “shark encounter”, indicating an “unspecified species”.
After he was released Mr Edwards posted a picture of himself and his children detailing the encounter and thanking people for their messages of support.
“I’ve been surfing most days for as long as I can remember, as I wondered down the track to Wamberal Beach I could see the blue water glittering from the sun, it was beautiful,” he posted.
“I paddled out, once I was out the back the perfect day became a nightmare within a split second a 6 foot shark grabbed my hand severing 3 tendons and tearing a hole in my hand. “Both extremely lucky that it didn’t rip my arm off but unlucky it happened.”
Mr Edwards, a paramedic himself, praised lifeguards “Tim Jones and mumbles” and the paramedics, doctors and nurses who treated him.
“I have an operation tomorrow to hopefully repair the tendons and get the use of my hand back, then hit the rehab so I can get back to my favourite thing in the world which is being a Dad to my 3 beautiful kids,” he wrote on Facebook.
“Life’s short, don’t waste it.”
Lifeguards spent the morning warning people over the loud speaker.
“We have had a shark attack today and the beach is closed for 24 hours. We suggest you do not go in the water at this time,” the messages said.
While many surfers were seen leaving the beach, around eight to 10 remained in the water along with a few swimmers.
Drone photographer Jack Hubbard said he put his drone up about 30 minutes after the attack and did a sweep of the beach but could not see any shark or even any fish.
He however did snap this amazing photo (above) of a large shark, possibly a grey nurse, near a swimmer off The Haven about 4pm on Sunday.
The species of the shark which bit Mr Edwards has not been confirmed.