Australia: Surfer killed by suspected shark attack 0:26
(CNN) - An Australian surfer repeatedly hit a great white shark to save his partner who was being attacked by the animal, on Saturday in the state of New South Wales.
The 35-year-old woman had been surfing at Shelley Beach in Port Macquarie in the morning when the attack occurred, according to New South Wales police. The shark bit her on the right calf and then on the back of the thigh.
The animal has been identified as a juvenile white shark, measuring around two to three meters long, according to Surf Life Saving NSW, the group of lifeguards that responded to the attack.
All beaches in the nearby area were closed for at least 24 hours.
The male surfer struck the shark repeatedly until he released the female's leg. He then helped her out of the water and onto the beach, where an ambulance and emergency personnel were waiting, Surf Life Saving NSW said in a statement.
Paramedics treated her injuries on the spot and then took her to hospital for surgery. She is in serious but stable condition.
Our thoughts are with the young woman who was injured in the shark attack this morning. And we would like to commend her fellow surfers who came to her aid so quickly, ”Steven Pearce, CEO of Surf Life Saving NSW, said in the statement.
"Our lifeguards and lifeguards moved quickly to close the beaches in the area and are now working closely with the NSW Department of Primary Industries to monitor the area and make sure there are no longer any sharks in the vicinity."
All beaches in the nearby area were closed for at least 24 hours. Surf Life Saving NSW and other local authorities are conducting coastal surveillance, using drones, jet skis and inflatable rescue boats to try to spot the shark.
"Bystanders at the scene who provided assistance should be commended," said Inspector Andrew Beverley of NSW Ambulance, according to CNN affiliate Nine News. "They did an incredible job before we arrived."
This is the third serious shark attack on the north coast in recent months, Beverley said.
This summer has seen a series of shark attacks in Australia. In June, a surfer died after being bitten by a great white shark off the north coast of New South Wales. And in July alone, there were three shark attacks: a 15-year-old boy died while surfing in New South Wales, a 10-year-old boy was hospitalized after a shark dragged him from a boat off the coast of Tasmania and a man died in Queensland state after being bitten while spearfishing.
In April, a Queensland ranger was killed by a great white shark and in January a 57-year-old diver was killed by a shark attack in the state of Western Australia.
It is a peak of incidents higher than that observed in recent years; Australia had no deaths from shark attacks in 2019 and only one in 2018, according to Sydney's Taronga Zoo.
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