Shark Attacks, Bites Teen Boy on Australian Beach
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NEED TO KNOW
- A shark attacked a 16-year-old boy while he was swimming at Cabarita Beach in Australia on June 29
- He sustained “traumatic injuries” to his right upper arm, right leg and wrist — leaving him in stable but serious condition
- Bystanders worked together to tourniquet his limbs and used a surfboard as a stretcher to carry the boy away from the beach
A shark attack in Australia left a teenage boy with serious injuries — and things could have been worse if bystanders didn’t act quickly.
The 16-year-old boy was swimming at Cabarita Beach in New South Wales (NSW) when the shark attacked him in the afternoon of Sunday, June 29, according to reports from 9News, News.com.au and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
The attack left the teen with serious injuries, including bites on his right upper arm, right leg and wrist, per 9News and News.com.au. NSW Surf Lifesaving CEO Stephen Pearce echoed these reports to the ABC, stating, “I’m told there were traumatic injuries to the right arm and right leg.”
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Emergency services were alerted to the attack just before 4 p.m. local time, according to the outlets. But before paramedics could respond to the scene, bystanders at the beach stepped in to help the injured teen, an NSW Ambulance spokesperson told the ABC.
“I’m not sure whether he was with any other friends at the time of the incident, but by the time our lifeguards got there he had already had a tourniquet applied to those impacted limbs,” Pearce told the ABC.
An off-duty paramedic was among the beachgoers who helped the teen, according to 9News.
Others on the beach helped to carry the teen from the scene using a surfboard as a makeshift stretcher, according to footage of the aftermath shared by Instagram user @nicka35.
The teen was subsequently airlifted to Gold Coast University Hospital via helicopter in a serious but stable condition, according to 9News.
NSW Ambulance did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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Following the attack, a jet ski cleared other surfers from the water while a helicopter patrolled for shark activity, according to the ABC, and officials do not have any details about the shark.
Pearce told the outlet that around this time of year, there is typically an increase of shark activity in the area.
“Cabarita Beach is a beautiful, picturesque beach,” the NSW Surf Lifesaving CEO said, “and unfortunately I think it might be a case of ‘wrong time, wrong place’ at this stage for the young fella.”