Enlarge image
Sand tiger shark (archive image)
Photo:
RAFA RIVAS / AFP
An Australian doctor who surfs in his spare time has developed a simple first aid technique that can save the lives of victims of shark attacks.
The emergency physician Nicholas Taylor describes the measure in the specialist newspaper "Emergency Medicine Australasia" as a simple technique for stopping the flow of blood from the femoral artery after a shark bite in the leg.
This can stop the bleeding much more effectively and effectively than the tourniquet that is traditionally used.
Simple handle that can save lives
Taylor's technique is therefore easy to use: The helper makes a fist and presses it in the victim's groin onto the midpoint between the hipbone and genitals.
Taylor's study showed that the blood flow from the artery could be reduced by 89.7 percent - compared to 43.8 percent when using a surfboard leash as a temporary tourniquet.
The technology should therefore also work if the victim is wearing a wetsuit.
The doctor and dean of the medical school of the Australian National University had investigated the question of how to reduce the number of deaths after shark attacks.
Many shark bites in the leg are fatal - victims bleed to death even though they still make it back to shore.
"I want posters on the beaches"
"It's easy to do and easy to remember - squeeze hard between your hips and genitals and you can save a life," Taylor said in a statement from his university released Friday.
The doctor hopes that the technology will get around among the 500,000 or so Australian surfers: "I want posters on the beaches, I want it to be known among surfers."
Shark attacks are rare.
Nevertheless, their number in Australia has been increasing for years - partly because the number of water sports enthusiasts is also increasing.
Surfers who bite their arms or legs because they mistake them for seals are particularly hard hit.
jso / AFP