Professional surfer mauled by shark off eastern Australia

SYDNEY (AP) — A professional surfer was mauled by a shark off the Australian east coast on Wednesday evening, officials said.

Brett Connellan, 22, was flown by helicopter to Sydney's St. George Hospital in serious condition after he was attacked 120 kilometers (75 miles) to the south off a beach near Kiama, a police statement said.

He sustained injuries to a thigh and a hand in the attack off Bombo Beach at 7 p.m. and was helped 100 meters (yards) to shore by a fellow surfer, Joel Trist, police said.

Trist told reporters on Thursday he paddled as fast as he could toward his friend when he heard him scream. The shark had vanished before Trist covered the 50 meters (yards).

"I said to him: 'What's it like?' and he said: 'It's not good.' And at that point I knew something was horribly wrong," Trist said.

Trist said he dragged his friend on to Trist's board and the pair caught a wave to shore.

Ambulance Service spokesman Terry Morrow said two beachgoers who were off-duty nurses saved Connellan's life by applying a tourniquet made from a surfboard leg rope to his upper thigh before paramedics reached the scene.

"He had lost a large proportion of his left thigh, and the quad muscle was torn away right down to the bone," Terry Morrow told the Illawarra Mercury newspaper.

"He could've bled to death before we arrived on scene. He was very lucky the members of the public were there and acted as they did," Morrow said.

Connellan did not see the shark. Experts are examining his wounds to determine its size and species.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-03-31

Totally off topic post removed.

As stupid as stupid comes or these people love to cheat death?

Surfing in Sydney we learn things from a very young age,,

things you learn from experience and from others, if you

live outside these rules you will be in trouble, he was.

Surfing in Sydney we learn things from a very young age,,

things you learn from experience and from others, if you

live outside these rules you will be in trouble, he was.

And what might those rules be ? A tacit agreement whereby you stay out of the water and the sharks stay out of your bar ?

As stupid as stupid comes or these people love to cheat death?

No, they love to surf, something you can't do from behind your keyboard.

As stupid as stupid comes or these people love to cheat death?

A pretty stupid remark.

The incident of shark attack is pretty rare and unless you want to spend your life wrapped in cotton wool sometimes things can happen. I'd rather be out there than watch the world on TV.

I glad that the Chinese appetite for sharks fins are keeping asian waters safe.

He lost a large portion of his thigh.Doesn't the femoral artery run down there? If that gets cut,they say you bleed to death in seconds.In the movie 'Jaws' Quince (the guy played by Robert shaw) says that most Shark attacks happen less that 3 yards from the shore,in less than 3 feet of water,if this is true,then it could happen to any one at any time.

I hope the guy recovers. but i bet,if he's a dedicated surfer boy,he will be back in the waves as soon as he is fit enough.

Dangerous sport.

Get well soon dude.

Great that his mate swam to the rescue. He wasn't aware that the shark was not around. Not sure I would have the presence of mind to do the same; I hope I would.