Surfer airlifted to hospital after Great White Shark attack on Kangaroo Island
A man is being airlifted to Adelaide after being bitten by a shark in waters off Kangaroo Island on Sunday afternoon.
SA Police said emergency services were called to D'Estrees Bay at about 2:20pm after receiving reports that a surfer had been bitten by a Great White Shark.
They said the 29-year-old local man managed to paddle back to shore and sought help from a member of the public, who then drove him toward Kingscote.
Paramedics then met the car and transported the man to the hospital. He was then airlifted to Adelaide for treatment.
His injuries are believed to be non-life threatening.
Kangaroo Island Mayor Michael Pengilly said the incident happened at a popular surfing spot (image: Johanna Johnson/Flickr)
Kangaroo Island Mayor Michael Pengilly said he was not surprised to hear about the incident, as sharks were known to frequent the area.
"It's a very popular spot down where these people are surfing down at what's called the sewer," he said.
"There's a lot of surf spots right around the island and of course we've got heavy concentrations of sea lions and a lot of sharks live in the waters around, particularly the south coast of Kangaroo Island.
"It's not surprising, you're going into their territory so you have to expect anything, quite frankly."
He said he's glad the man's injuries were not life-threatening, and he doesn't think there's cause for alarm.
"It's a long time since we've had an incident on Kangaroo Island, they are few and far between, most of our beaches are pretty safe to swim on," he said.
"But it's a very rugged piece of coast and it's well known that there's sharks down around and work in that area."
Police, in conjunction with Fisheries and the local council, are in the process of erecting signs to close D'Estrees Bay beach and have asked people to avoid the area.
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Comments
I assume at The Sewer? Last attack at KI was in 2005.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2005-09-26/shark-attack-survivor-extremely-l...
Yeah just saw this. Pointer. Survived thankfully.
https://www.theislanderonline.com.au/story/7043051/surfer-survives-shark...
I would assume at the Sewer Ben. As you know it was [strong] offshore there today. There has been a large increase in seal numbers there over the last couple of decades. The last attack was at Spooks if I recall correctly. Even larger increase in seal numbers there too.
Last trip to KI was about 7 years ago. Was on a family trip so wasn't chasing waves, but had a couple of solo beachie surfs where it was pretty hard to shake the anxiety. Can't imagine living there and dealing with that every session.
News reports in Adelaide confirm it was at the “sewer”.Have surfed there plenty of times over the years & never considered it overly “sharkie” nor did I ever see one there.Some of the neighbouring breaks like Wheatons Bommie(Vinnies) ,Tadpoles & Tinline are way more sharkie. Wind there today would have side shore/cross shore
So....bitten at the least sharky spot in the area? Whoa
@Ben, I agree, not sure I could relax surfing at KI but the funny thing is there is a shark buoy just off one of my local beaches and it picks up a Great White going past, every day of the week, and there have been a couple attacks in the last five years, so probably just a higher risk at home.
Good to hear the guy has survived, hope his injuries aren’t too bad.
Glad old mate is ok. Not exactly close to the hospital down there
Agree. Although I wouldn't assume he's okay. Non-lethal pointer injuries often leave chronic physical disability, depression, PTSD etc and the flow on personal and professional consequences. Hope he makes a full recovery.
Good point, Charlie Chalk. Hope he makes a full recovery
Remote and wild coast has been a staple for Adelaide surfers rarely crowded lucky for the last victim to survive. I wish him a speedy and full recovery
Roads are better now than my first trip there in the 70s that would have helped a little. I was last there in march this year for ten days surf was average overall and surfed often with no one out.
I went really to spend some cash help the businesses after those terrible fires
One of my best mates ab dived there for over twenty years he calls that SW end of the island the place of half things
We all remember the carcass off Cape Jervis plenty of apex predators in that region thankfully they are mostly well fed
I was surfing around the corner at Pennington bay the day before and saw what I thought was a great white jump out the water about 100m infront of me, didn't look to big but I got out the next wave.
Far out. What a legend
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/07/remarkable-south-aus...
+1, my word.
BD thanks for posting that ....guy must be tough as ....all the best to the patient.