Three Shark Attacks in Two Days

Shark attacks are proving to be a problem in Australia this summer.

At 9:30am yesterday, Jonathan Beard, 31, was lucky to survive an attack at a popular tourist beach at Fingal whilst he was surfing with his friends. The group were surrounded by a pod of dolphins around 70m off shore when the shark bit Jonathan on his upper left thigh. He managed to alert the group before they helped him paddle back into shore. Paramedics say the wound wasn’t life threatening as main veins and arteries had been missed.

Hannah Mighall, 13, was another victim of a shark attack this morning, when she was out surfing with her cousin. She was pulled under water and her cousin Syb Mundy recounted, “She came up and was fighting the shark and hitting it and screaming `help me, help me, help me'. We didn't see it coming.” He then tried to hit the White Pointer shark with his own surfboard, before lifting her onto his board, trying to catch a wave to carry them back into the beach. Her leg had been severely mauled, and an ambulance was called straight away.

The latest victim, a 25 year old man who was snorkelling beneath a bridge in Lake Illawarra in Windang, south of Sydney this morning, has escaped a bull shark. Whilst observing bait fish, he felt a tug on his right calf. He punched the shark in the face, suffering cuts to his hand, before paddling quickly to a nearby shore. He managed to wave over a passing boat, which brought him to shore to be treated by Paramedics.

These haven’t been the only attacks in Australia this summer. Brian Guest was taken by a shark in Port Kennedy whilst snorkelling with his son on the 27th of December 2008, and the day after, Kayakers were circled by a 5 metre shark for near 10 minutes before they were able to get away. There has been numerous other shark sightings on beaches around Australia and many swimmers are reluctant to get back in the water despite the hot weather.