Shark attack survivor recovering in Mackay Base Hospital after being bitten on thigh off Hardy Reef
UPDATED: Shark attack victim Ryan Bowring thinks he jumped on top of a grey reef whaler shark before he was bitten in a “freak accident”.
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UPDATED: SHARK attack victim Ryan Bowring thinks he jumped on top of a grey reef whaler shark before he was bitten in a “freak accident” in the Whitsundays on the Great Barrier Reef.
The 25-year-old, of Airlie Beach, told how he had only been in the water for 20 seconds to lead a snorkelling tour when he felt the initial “bump and bite” of the 1.5m reef shark.
The first mate of the luxury superyacht De Lisle III has undergone three hours of surgery to bite wounds on his right buttock and left hip after Monday’s attack at Block Reef, about 18km north of Hardy Reef.
In Mackay Hospital for treatment after he was airlifted by rescue chopper from the Heart Pontoon helipad, Mr Bowring said the attack was a freak accident and nothing “more sinister”.
“I can only assume that when I entered the water I must have come in on top of, or surprised the grey reef shark, causing it to retaliate,’’ Mr Bowring said, in a statement.
He said, contrary to reports, he was not spearfishing or diving and was in about 3m of water.
“The reef is a stunning place, full of incredible marine life and I have been disappointed that what was really a freak accident, has been portrayed as something more sinister.”
He thanked his crewmates, RACQ CQ Helicopter Rescue staff and members of the emergency services for their help.
“I am doing OK,’’ he said.
“At this stage I am being well looked after in hospital after surgery last night and my focus is on recovering and getting back to work.”
He told rescuers he thought he was attacked by a bronze whaler shark but crew members identified the culprit as the far less aggressive reef shark.
The skipper and crew of the 42m superyacht DeLisle III – which costs US$125,000 a week to charter – said it was a rare incident and wished the injured first mate a “rapid recovery”.
“At around 12.15 two crew members entered the water to assess the conditions before leading guests on a snorkelling tour of the reef,’’ a statement said.
“It was a clear day with good visibility and good light.
“They had been in approximately 3m of water clearing their masks when the first mate of the vessel received a bite wound in the leg from what the crew identified as a grey reef whaler approximately 1.5m in length.”
He was immediately returned to the vessel and received first aid while emergency services were contacted.
“Such incidents are rare and it is likely the animal was startled by the disturbance.
“Our crew and the Hardy Reef pontoon were calm and efficient throughout the process and we thank them for their exemplary work.
“We thank the QAS for a speedy response.’’
It is the fourth confirmed shark attack in the world-famous Whitsundays region in six months.
EARLIER: A SHARK attack survivor — believed to be from Tasmania — is recovering in hospital after a suspected bronze whaler shark had “a couple of bites at him” while he swam off a luxury superyacht on the Great Barrier Reef.
The 25-year-old man is in a serious but stable condition after being attacked by a shark in the Whitsundays yesterday.
It is understood the man is from Hobart and started work with a chartered yacht company in Airlie Beach late last year after studying at the Australian Maritime College.
It follows the recent return to work of Tasmanian shark attack victim Justine Barwick, who was mauled in a suspected tiger shark attack while she was swimming off a yacht in sheltered shores at Cid Harbour, north of Hamilton Island, with a friend in September last year.
In the latest attack, the man was bitten on the thigh in waters at Hardy Reef, about 50km northeast of Hamilton Island about 12.30pm on Monday.
He was rescued by helicopter and flown to the Mackay Base Hospital, where he is in a serious but stable condition.
The man was winched from the pontoon with a critical care paramedic about 1.45pm.
RACQ CQ Rescue chopper and critical-care paramedics airlifted the shark attack victim, who was sitting up and conscious, from the Hardy Reef helipad.
He told rescuers he believed it was a bronze whaler shark, which can grow up to 3.5m and 300kg, that attacked him while swimming in his boardshorts off a 28m superyacht based out of Airlie Beach.
“He said it had a couple of bites at him,’’ a RACQ CQ Rescue spokeswoman said.
“He’s a skipper out of Airlie Beach, but it’s not known if he was skipper of that vessel, but he seems to know his sharks and he reckons it was a bronze whaler shark.
“There was no talk of size.’’
The skipper, who has not been named, fought off the shark and swam back to the superyacht where he was given first aid by the crew.
Queensland Ambulance Service said the man suffered wounds to his right buttock and left hip and was listed in a stable condition.
“They were penetrating teeth-like, multiple teeth-like marks, to the body,’’ QAS senior operations supervisor Shane Tucker said.
“He actually swam back to the boat he came off, where the crew of the boat rendered first aid.
“He was taken to Hardy Reef pontoon by boat and winched to the helicopter from the pontoon.
“There was no major blood loss, no major blood vessel involvement, he remained conscious and stable throughout transport.”
The Whitsundays region has been the site of a number of shark attacks in the last six months.
Victorian man Daniel Christidis, 33, died in November after being attacked at Cid Harbour at Whitsunday Island during a trip with friends and colleagues.
That incident followed separate attacks — also at Cid Harbour — on Tasmanian woman Justine Barwick and Victorian 12-year-old Hannah Papps within 24 hours in September.
SHARK-ATTACK VICTIM JUSTINE BARWICK BACK AT WORK IN BURNIE
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