An Australian surfer who had his leg bitten off by a shark off the coast of New South Wales last week has vowed to get back into the surf.
Kai Mackenzie, 23, was surfing near Port Macquarie on Tuesday when he was suddenly attacked by “the biggest shark he’d ever seen”.
“A few days ago I experienced a crazy shark attack (biggest shark I’ve ever seen) it was such a crazy sight and scared me to death,” Mackenzie wrote in an Instagram post.
Officials identified the shark as a great white, approximately 10 feet long. According to the BBC.
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According to New South Wales Police, 23-year-old Kai McKenzie was surfing off the coast of New South Wales, Australia, when he was attacked by a shark. (New South Wales Police)
Mackenzie was in the water and was able to see the shark coming towards her and fight it off, but not before the marine predator severed her right leg, according to a GoFundMe page set up for medical expenses that the 23-year-old linked to on Instagram.
“Clinging to life, [McKenzie] “I was able to catch a wave and get back to the beach,” the page states.
Authorities reportedly said Kai MacKenzie was attacked by a great white shark approximately 10 feet long. (iStock)
After landing, a retired police officer used a dog lead to apply a tourniquet to Mackenzie’s bloodied leg, the paper said. Mackenzie was taken by helicopter to John Hunter Hospital, where he underwent surgery and is in a stable condition.
The shark bite reported at Hilton Head Island Resort is the first reported shark bite on the island this year.
The surfer’s leg washed up on shore some time after the attack, and locals put it on ice in hopes of surgeons reattaching it, the BBC reported. As of Monday, it was unclear whether a reattachment operation had been attempted.
It is unclear whether surgeons have attempted to reattach Kai McKenzie’s leg after it washed up on shore shortly after the attack. (Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild via Getty Images, File)
Nearly a week after the attack, Mackenzie posted an update on Instagram.
“Did you see something missing?” she wrote, along with a photo of herself surrounded by loved ones at the hospital.
Mackenzie thanked everyone who helped him after the shark attack and vowed to get back on the waves soon.
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“I’ll be back in the water soon! Big thanks to Steve for storming into the shark and saving my life,” the 23-year-old wrote.
