Port Macquarie: Town Beach will reopen tomorrow, a day after whaler shark bit boy, 12, on the ankle and fingers
A 12-year-old boy has been released from hospital after being bitten by a shark at Port Macquarie’s Town Beach this morning. The NSW Department of Primary Industries says the shark was likely a species of ‘Whaler Shark’.
Mid-North Coast
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A 12-year-old surfer was likely bit by a species of Whaler Shark this morning while surfing at Town Beach, Port Macquarie.
Paramedics and Surf Life Saving (SLS) crews were called to Town Beach just after 6am following reports a surfer had been attacked by a shark believed to be a wobbegong, reef or bull shark.
The young boy was paddling above a reef just 30 metres from shore when the shark set on him, biting his thigh, foot and finger before he managed to scare the animal away.
Paramedics treated him the bites and transported him to Port Macquarie Hospital. He was released from hospital late this morning.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries has reported to lifeguards that the shark was most likely a variety of Whaler Shark, which consist of spinner shark, dusky, blacktip, bronze whalers and bull sharks.
They DPI has, however, ruled out the possibility that it was a Bull Shark.
Whaler Sharks are found throughout NSW waters from the upper reaches of estuarine rivers to offshore areas.
They have a maximum size of between 2.5 metre to 4 metres in length depending on the species, and are often grey to dusky bronze in colour.
Port Macquarie Lifeguard James Turnham described attacks of this nature from such small sharks as ”very rare.”
“You don‘t hear of this happening very often but thankfully if a reef shark does bite it doesn’t cause too much damage.”
An aerial surveillance shark data drone, which is usually launched at that time of a morning at Town Beach, was not flying today due to the high winds.
The boy was taken to Port Macquarie Base Hospital in a stable condition and the beach has been closed for the day following the incident.
Signs have been posted on the beach warning of the closure.