An Australian surfer injured after being bitten on the leg by a shark has promised he will be “back in the water soon” as he recovers from surgery.
Kai McKenzie, 23, was surfing off North Shore Beach in north-central New South Wales on Tuesday morning when he was bitten by a great white shark believed to be three metres long.
Mr Mackenzie fought off the shark and made it to shore, where he was treated with a makeshift tourniquet and then taken by helicopter to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.
The amputated leg washed up on shore shortly after the attack and he was taken to hospital where he underwent surgery and was in stable condition as of earlier this week.
In an Instagram post on Saturday morning, Mackenzie described the shark as “the biggest shark I’ve ever seen” and said the attack was “pretty crazy and scared me to death.”
It was not disclosed whether surgery to reattach the foot had been attempted, but Mackenzie, a sponsored athlete, was optimistic about returning to surfing.
“Anyone who knows my personality can assure you this means nothing and I’ll be back in the water soon,” he wrote.
Mackenzie thanked the “kind-hearted people” who have sent messages of support and donated to a GoFundMe page set up to help with the family’s rehabilitation and medical costs.
“To all of you…legends and everyone, your support means the world to me. It’s so amazing to see so many amazing people supporting me…we are so grateful for everything.”
The GoFundMe page has raised more than $150,000 since it was set up Wednesday morning.
In a statement on Thursday, the Mackenzie family thanked passers-by on the beach, emergency personnel and medical staff at Port Macquarie Hospital and John Hunter Hospital.
