Surfer’s severed leg washes ashore after shark attack. Docs hope to reattach it

A 23-year-old surfer from Australia survived a vicious shark attack connected Tuesday by fighting disconnected nan awesome achromatic that spot disconnected his leg. Shortly after, nan surfer’s limb washed up connected statement and doctor’s are now trying to find if they tin reattach nan severed limb.

Kai McKenzie of Bonny Hills, New South Wales (NSW) was surfing disconnected Australia’s eastbound seashore erstwhile a three-metre-long awesome achromatic shark attacked him, severing his correct leg, according to local media reports and a GoFundMe page. While “clinging to life,” he was capable to conflict disconnected nan shark and drawback a activity backmost to nan formation connected his damaged surfboard.

An off-duty constabulary serviceman witnessed McKenzie fighting disconnected nan shark and was location to thief him astatine nan shore. He utilized his dog’s leash arsenic a tourniquet to stem nan bleeding from nan surfer’s limb until paramedics arrived.

“He was very fortunate astatine nan clip we had a (off-duty) constabulary serviceman that was stepping his dog,” said NSW Ambulance Service acting work operations serviceman Kirran Mowbray successful an question and reply pinch Australia’s ABC News.

“He… fundamentally saved nan man’s life until nan paramedics sewage there.”

McKenzie was first transported to a section infirmary earlier being flown 200 kilometres to John Hunter Hospital, a awesome trauma centre, for surgery. A GoFundMe page supporting his betterment notes that he is presently successful stable condition.

About an hr aft nan attack, McKenzie’s severed limb washed up connected nan beach, reports 9News. The limb was retrieved, put connected crystal and besides flown to John Hunter Hospital. Doctors will now person to measure whether nan limb tin beryllium reattached.

Generally, severed limbs should beryllium rushed to a infirmary within six hours successful bid to stave disconnected musculus decease and person a chance astatine reattachment, nan president of nan Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, David Morgan, told nan Guardian.

Shark biologists assessed photos from nan incident and wished that McKenzie was bitten by a three-metre-long awesome achromatic shark, according to nan NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

Since nan attack, tributes person been flooding successful from nan section surfing community.

McKenzie’s surf team, RAGE, wrote they were “sending love” to “the toughest personification we know,” successful an Instagram post.

The surfing hardware and contented creation institution revealed that McKenzie had been injured past year, but “he ne'er erstwhile complained ever conscionable sewage connected pinch doing what he loved arsenic soon arsenic possible.”

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Surfboard shaper Luke Short, who makes McKenzie’s surfboards arsenic portion of a sponsorship deal, specified to ABC News that McKenzie “fractured his neck while he was seeing a band, successful nan mosh pit.”

“In this business we’re ever trying to prime nan positives,” he added. “It’s astonishing that he’s survived.”

The GoFundMe campaign raising money for aesculapian expenses has truthful acold amassed complete $126,500 arsenic of Thursday afternoon, surpassing its goal.

The run was started by a neighbour, who wrote that nan McKenzies are “a section family pinch hearts of golden that would ne'er expect aliases inquire thing of anybody, truthful let’s springiness backmost and show them that they person nan communities support successful this.”