Woman attacked by shark near Fitzroy Island, off Cairns, says ‘I still love sharks’

A young documentary filmmaker has declared ‘sharks are beautiful’ after she was bitten by one near Cairns.

The victim of a shark attack off Fitzroy Island is taken by paramedics to hospital. Photo: News Corp Australia

A young documentary filmmaker has declared “I still love sharks” while being taken to Cairns Hospital after reportedly being bitten off of Fitzroy Island, in far north Queensland.

The 29-year-old woman was swimming off of a private fishing boat 100m from the shoreline at Welcome Bay – the main beach of the resort island – shortly before midday on Tuesday when the incident occurred.

The filmmaker – who a Queensland Ambulance spokesman said was on the island working on a project about sharks – was on a day off when she was bitten on the lower left leg, causing a possible fracture to the ankle and lacerations.

"I still love sharks, sharks are beautiful!" says the 29yo shark documentary maker, just minutes after being mauled herself off Fitzroy Island. #9News @9NewsQueensland @9NewsFarNthQLD pic.twitter.com/rPrMUvprOE

— Maegan Gillespie (@meggillespie9) July 14, 2020

She was flown in a rescue helicopter to Cairns in a stable condition before going into surgery later in the afternoon.

“I still love sharks,” the woman yelled to waiting news crews as she was stretchered from a rescue helicopter to a waiting ambulance.

“Sharks are beautiful.”

The woman received first aid from holidaying doctors who applied a tourniquet to limit bleeding before paramedics arrived.

The size and species of shark is unknown and there was some speculation that another sea creature may have been involved.

Travel industry figures in the tourism town were quick to downplay the severity of the incident.

It is the third shark attack in less than two weeks off the eastern coast. Picture: Brendan Radke

In a statement, Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Mark Olsen said the area was not known for dangerous sharks.

“We are pleased staff investigated the water and found no evidence of a shark in the area where typically only small reef sharks are occasionally seen,” Mr Olsen said.

“Visitor safety is always a top priority and we are pleased the patient from the private commercial fishing boat was in good spirits after the incident.”

Local marine biologist Gareth Phillips said there was a “low likelihood” the bite, which resulted in three small punctures, was from a shark, suggesting a sea bass or giant trevally may have been the culprit.

“The description of the wounds … is not conducive to that (a shark bite), however, I wasn’t there,” he said in a media release issued by the tourism body.

“From all witnesses that have described it to me, I’d say it is a very low likelihood. If it was a shark, it would be a very small shark.”

The beach remained open following the incident.

The rescue helicopter that took the injured woman to hospital. Picture: Brendan Radke

Flight critical care paramedic Terry Cumming confirmed the woman was in good spirits following the bite.

“She is great,” Mr Cumming said. “She is in there (Cairns Hospital) smiling and very happy.”

It is the third shark attack in less than two weeks off the eastern coast.

Matthew Tratt was attacked by a shark and killed on July 4 while spearfishing off Indian Head on Fraser Island.

Last weekend, teenager Mani Hart-Deville was surfing at Wooli Beach off the NSW north coast when he was fatally attacked.