Shark bites off boy's leg

[AussieMark]

A 15-year-old boy has had his leg bitten off in a shark attack at a West Australian beach.
The boy was body surfing at Wharton beach at Duke of Orleans Bay, east of Esperance, on WA's remote south coast when the attack occurred at about 7.30am (AWST) this morning.

A spokesman for WA Police said the boy's leg was bitten off just above the right knee. "He has lost one of his legs,'' he said.

Stephen Luke from St John Ambulance said the boy was taken to hospital with a police escort.

The boy, a tourist from South Australia, was with his brother, 18, and 15-year-old friend, about 40 metres from the beach when he was attacked by an unknown type of shark.

He was helped from the surf by friends and several tourists who applied first aid, police said.

Surf Life Saving WA chief Paul Andrew said sharks were known to inhabit the area.

He said the boy was taken to the Esperance Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

The boy is now being transferred by air to Royal Perth Hospital for further treatment.

The beach has been closed and a helicopter has been organised to try and locate the shark.

Source

Its that time of year again

Would not be suprised if it was a great white tho as they are common in the waters along the SOuthern Coast of Australia

[HarlequinBoy]

Awww. That' sad.

[tropicana]

Following up on this story, looks like it was indeed a Great White shark

:The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), also known as white pointer, white shark, or white death, is an exceptionally large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans except Indian Ocean. Reaching lengths of about 6 metres (20 ft) and weighing almost 2,000 kilograms (4,400 lb), the great white shark is the world's largest known predatory fish-

Sat December 02, 2006 03:00pm
Perth, Australia

THE hunt will resume on Sunday morning for a 5m (16.5 foot) white pointer that bit off a teenager's leg at the knee when he was body surfing at a remote beach east of Esperance early Saturday.
Zak Golebiowski, 15, was savaged by a 5m white pointer while surfing off Wharton beach at Duke of Orleans Bay, 70km east of Esperance, about 7.30am.

The shark remained in the area for several hours after the attack, but rough weather prevented police and fisheries officers from getting close to the shark.
A decision will be made Sunday whether authorities will use their powers to kill the shark if it is still lurking in the area.
Local fishermen are planning to set lines to catch it.

Zak was about 40m (130 feet) off the popular beach with a 15-year-old friend when he was attacked.
He was dragged to the beach where two New Zealand tourists and his brother helped stem the flow of blood by tying a cord around his leg.

They kept the blood loss to a minimum and that has probably made the difference between him having his life saved, and being in a relatively stable condition, to being much worse off. They bundled him into a car and raced him to the hospital. Police met them on the way and provided an escort until they could meet the ambulance.'

Zak was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital and was in a stable condition and was expected to undergo surgery Saturday night.
He lost his right leg below the knee and part of his left calf.

The boy's brother, Jan Golebiowski, 25, travelled with him to hospital. He's in good spirits considering what has happened.

He said his brother had been conscious and was talking to ambulance officers throughout the ordeal.
He thanked the people involved in helping his brother get to hospital.

Zak's mother, Ann, was flying from Mt Gambier in South Australia to Perth Saturday night to be by her son's side.
The boy's father, Les, said the family was in shock.

There were people on the beach who knew what was going on and wrapped a cord around his leg, tightened it up and elevated it.
The people on the beach probably saved his life.

[Opal storm]

I feel bad for the boy,but what is killing that shark going to do?It's just going to put the great white sharks closer to endangerment.No offense to the boy and his family,but being a experienced surfer I know that 7:30am in the morning is too early to go out into the waters.Sharks come to shore and feed during the early morning hours.I have been out to the beach that early and have seen packs of bullsharks come right up to the shoreline hunting schools of fish.

[AussieMark]

early in the morning is good surf conditions. Thats why I assume he was out so early

[Lindaloo]

First of all, Australia is known for Great Whites. Anytime you go into the ocean you are opening yourself up to become a feast. It is their habitat and killing the shark is not acceptable to me.

[Lindaloo]

early in the morning is good surf conditions. Thats why I assume he was out so early

Well then get ready to be a treat.

[TexasStooge]

Oh, great! The oceans aren't safe anymore. Hope the kid's okay!

[MiamiensisWx]

The oceans aren't safe anymore.

The oceans have never been 100 percent "safe". There have always been natural hazards associated with marine environments, both inshore, intermediate, and offshore in all zones. There have been numerous shark attacks long in the past as well. It is absolutely nothing new.

It's all a matter of using common sense when in the habitat of such predators which, on occasion, are potentially dangerous, as shown in the case of some shark species. Most of the yearly shark attacks worldwide result when the shark(s) mistakes surfers and bathers for their more typical meals (such as fish) due to the movement of a person's body, which can resemble the movement of fish schools.

Far, far, FAR more people are killed yearly by lightning and conflict on land than by sharks.

Hopefully the person will recover from this attack.

[Lindaloo]

What most do not know is everytime you go into the ocean you come within 15 feet of a shark. Known fact. A US Coast Guard guy once told me that if I saw what he has seen, I would never go into the ocean again. He was talking about the shoreline. So, he took us for a ride and he was right. Bullsharks everywhere and there were swimmers nearby. This was on the shoreline of Gulf Shores and Pensacola Beach.

[tropicana]

i wonder why Great Whites don't like the Indian Ocean? hmmm

[HarlequinBoy]

What most do not know is everytime you go into the ocean you come within 15 feet of a shark. Known fact. A US Coast Guard guy once told me that if I saw what he has seen, I would never go into the ocean again. He was talking about the shoreline. So, he took us for a ride and he was right. Bullsharks everywhere and there were swimmers nearby. This was on the shoreline of Gulf Shores and Pensacola Beach.

Whoa! 15 feet?

Once when I was at Orange Beach a smaller shark passed within 10 feet of my sister and I. We were pretty freaked out!!

[Opal storm]

I wish people would become more educated about sharks and other dangers about the ocean.The more you know about sharks,the less likely you will be attacked by one.99% of shark attacks occur at the WRONG time or the WRONG place to be swimming.

Humans are much more of a threat to sharks than they are to us.

What most do not know is everytime you go into the ocean you come within 15 feet of a shark. Known fact. A US Coast Guard guy once told me that if I saw what he has seen, I would never go into the ocean again. He was talking about the shoreline. So, he took us for a ride and he was right. Bullsharks everywhere and there were swimmers nearby. This was on the shoreline of Gulf Shores and Pensacola Beach.

Yes,the fishing pier at Pensacola Beach is what attracts them to come so close to the shoreline,but usually they stay behind the sandbars out in the deep during the day.Whenever you're swimming around a fishing Pier or a fisherman in the water,be very aware of whats around you.

[Lindaloo]

What I saw Opal was nowhere near the pier. This was the entire coastline. I am very well educated on sharks. Also, if you read my post correctly, the airman was telling me that we are invading their space.

[Regit]

I'll never understand the mentality of people when it comes to animals. When you go into a place that has wild, dangerous animals you just have to accept the responsibility that comes with it. If you go into such an environment and you get eaten, it's pretty much buzzard luck, but it was a result of YOUR actions.

I'm not saying that people should never swim, you just have to accept the consequences if something happens.

[tropicana]

UPDATE OF SHARK ATTACK VICTIM
Sun Dec 3, 2006
Perth Australia

A TEENAGER whose leg was bitten off by a white pointer shark told Sunday of how he had felt a "bit of a tug" as he was maimed by the monster.
Zac Golebiowski, 15, had his right leg torn off from the knee when he was attacked as he surfed with his brother and a friend near Esperance on Saturday. His left leg was also severely lacerated.

As the State Government Sunday temporarily overturned a hunting ban on the endangered species, saying the shark responsible could be killed if it was found close to people, Zac told his family of the seemingly innocuous moment when he was grabbed.
He had been sitting on his surfboard about 40m from shore and waiting for a wave when the predator struck at Wharton Beach, 70km from Esperance.
Zac's father, Les Golebiowski, who with his wife, Anne, flew from Adelaide Sunday to be at his bedside, said that although Zac was lucky to survive, he had felt little when the shark hit. Zac said all he felt was a bit of a tug, he didn't feel that much, which left a massive bite mark in Zac's surfboard.

Mr Golebiowski praised the New Zealand couple - Amy Worling, 26, and Pete Hickmott, 32 - who helped Zac's brother Sam, drag him ashore and stem the blood flow after the attack.
Zac was in a stable condition Sunday in Royal Perth Hospital after undergoing surgery.
Fisheries authorities took to the skies Sunday to find the 5m shark but said killing the animal would be a last resort.
WA Fisheries stressed its main goal, if the shark was sighted, was to warn any other swimmers of the shark.

Much as it is respected the fact the ocean is the shark's domain and we enter it at our own peril, if a shark is in a place where people are swimming and is endangering lives then there should be no hesitation in seeing it destroyed.