Tasmanian shark attack victim Justine Barwick on the road to recovery and could be home within weeks

SHARK attack victim Justine Barwick could be back home in Tasmania to continue her rehabilitation within two to three weeks.

UPDATED: TASMANIAN shark attack victim Justine Barwick is smiling and starting to communicate after a marathon 18-hour surgery to save her leg.

A statement released yesterday (SUN) on behalf of the Burnie mum’s family said her condition was continuing to improve.

“This morning Justine is conscious and no longer being ventilated,” husband Craig Barwick said.

“She is communicating using thumbs up, nodding and best of all, smiling.”

Mr Barwick said his wife was still very tired after her “challenging” surgery, which included nerve, skin and muscle grafting to reconstruct her injured leg.

She will remain in the intensive care unit of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital for a few more days before being moved onto a surgical ward.

The couple’s daughter Sarah is expected to travel from Hobart to be with her mum once she is feeling better.

“Kate and I are relieved to hear the improvement in Mum’s condition and I am looking forward to seeing her,” Sarah said.

Ms Barwick, 46, was mauled by a shark while swimming near her yacht at Cid Harbour about 5pm on Wednesday.

It was the first of two attacks at the same location in less than 24 hours — with 12-year-old Melbourne girl Hannah Papps bitten on the leg on Thursday.

She remains in a critical but stable condition.

EARLIER: SHARK attack victim Justine Barwick could be back home in Tasmania to continue her rehabilitation within two to three weeks.

Justine Barwick, 46, of Burnie was yesterday recovering from a marathon 18 hours of reconstructive surgery on her right leg at the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital.

In a statement, her husband, Craig, said the surgery took “much longer than we were anticipating”, and finished about 1am yesterday morning.

During the surgery, specialists repaired ligaments and other structures including nerve, skin and muscle grafting to reconstruct the injured limb.

MORE: SHARK ATTACK VICTIM RECOVERING FROM SURGERY

Shark attack victim Justine Barwick, left, of Burnie with her family.

Afterwards, Mr Barwick was advised that over the following 24 hours, when surgeons and specialists are satisfied that the operation was successful, Mrs Barwick’s level of sedation would be lifted.

“The current prognosis is looking good, with an estimated two to three weeks recovery in Brisbane and then back to Tasmania for further rehabilitation,” Mr Barwick said.

“All of us would like to thank the surgical team for their marathon effort save Justine’s leg.”

The mother-of-two was mauled by a shark while swimming near a yacht at Cid Harbour off Whitsunday Island’s Sawmill Bay about 5pm on Wednesday.

Shark attack victim Justine Barwick. Picture AAP IMAGE/DAVID CLARK

She suffered a life-threatening bite and was flown to Mackay Base Hospital before being moved to the Royal Brisbane on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, three baited hooks were dropped in the area on Friday, with Fisheries Queensland officials catching and killing a two-metre tiger shark and a 3.3-metre tiger shark yesterday.

“It is unclear if they were responsible for injuries caused to two swimmers this week,” Fisheries Queensland said in a statement.

The state government insists killing the sharks is in the interest of public safety, despite also saying it would be impossible to determine whether they were the sharks responsible.

The sharks will be cut open and measured before being dumped at sea.

Melbourne 12-year-old Hannah Papps was holidaying with her father and sister when she received a life-threatening wound to her right leg on Thursday while swimming in shallow water in Cid Harbour.

The attack came less than 24 hours after Mrs Barwick was mauled in the same area.

Hannah is in a critical but stable condition.