Sunday, September 11, 2005

INJURED - 7 September 2005 - Park Beach, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia - surfer attacked

A 15-year-old surfer, Blake Garnett, suffered severe lacerations to his left foot after he was bitten by a shark while surfing at Park Beach, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia.

His father, Michael Garnett, told media Blake was standing beside his surfboard in the surf at Park Beach at dusk on Wednesday, 7 September.

"He had just caught a wave and felt something pulling him down and then it let go and nipped at him, all in a matter of seconds,” Garnett was quoted as saying.

His foot has a bite mark across the toes and at least three deep, wide slashing cuts on his ankle.

No shark was sighted at the time of the attack. Locals quoted in The Coffs Coast Advocate believe a baby bronze whaler or black tip shark bit Blake.

Two surfing friends helped Blake to the beach where they waited for an ambulance to take him to hospital.

Sharks and dolphins had been sighted chasing baitfish at Coffs Harbour during a surfing competition the same day, competition organiser Mark Windon said. Blake was not surfing in the competition. Windon said the competition had been put on hold for half an hour because of the shark sighting.

1 comment:

markus said...

finally! a good shark blog! i adding you to my links.