A chilling photo of a surfer was posted moments before a monster shark lurking just meters away attacked him and left him with life-changing injuries.
A ripple in the water was the only warning Toby Begg, 44, father of two, had before he was attacked by a 4m-long great white shark on Friday morning as he surfed around 150m at the off Lighthouse Beach, near Port Macquarie, in the middle of New South Wales. North Coast.
A photo obtained by Nine news taken by a photographer on the beach shows Mr Begg a few feet from the shark, unaware that his life was about to change forever.
The picture shows Mr Begg holding his surfboard and another surfer appearing to be keeping a close eye on a ripple in the water a few feet away moments before the predator attacked.
Mr Begg struggled with the shark for around 30 seconds before being pulled ashore by other surfers, with serious waist injuries.
He remains in a critical but stable condition at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.
He lost a leg and underwent a second surgery to try to save his other leg as his family broke their silence on Saturday.
Moments before the attack, Toby Begg (circled right) was just meters from the shark (circled left), with ripples in the water as the only warning that his life was about to change forever.
“This is in its early stages and the extent of his injuries are being uncovered,” Chris Lenihan, Mr Begg’s brother-in-law, said in a statement.
“However, he will require many surgeries and has years of rehabilitation ahead of him.”
He launched an online fundraiser that raised more than $30,000 within hours.
Mr Lenihan wrote that his brother-in-law, a skilled bricklayer, was lucky an off-duty emergency doctor was on the beach at the time of the attack to help him apply a tourniquet using leg ropes from surfboards.
This skilled builder and business owner is the primary breadwinner for his young family, which includes his “loving partner” Tracy and their two children.
“If you can, please donate to help Toby pay his medical bills and pay everyday bills while he recovers. We’ll keep you posted on Toby’s progress.
Another picture, taken after Mr Begg was brought ashore, showed his broken surfboard just above the fins while shards of fiberglass were also ripped out.
The surfboard was seized by the police.
A popular local and father-of-two, the local community has rallied behind Mr Begg who remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Another image taken after Mr Begg was brought ashore shows his surfboard being torn just above the fins by what is believed to be a 4m long great white shark.
NSW Police Chief Inspector Martin Burke confirmed that Mr Begg had tried to fight the shark and was injured.
“Reports indicate that a man attempted to fight this shark for 30 seconds and then swam to shore where he realized he had sustained significant injuries to his lower leg,” the inspector said. Chief Burke.
“From what I understand it was a sustained and prolonged attack.”
An off-duty ER doctor was on the beach with the team and sprang into action to help bind his leg.
Chief Inspector Burke praised the doctor for stepping in at the time of the attack to help save Mr Begg’s life.
“Being absolutely lucky to have an ER doctor on hand will be key to giving this gentleman the best chance of survival.”
The man who was violently attacked by what is believed to be a large white dock has been identified as Toby Begg, 44, father of two (pictured)
Paramedics treated the man at the scene before he was rushed to Port Macquarie Base Hospital and then transferred to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.
The beach remains closed to swimmers, but a dozen surfers were spotted at the water’s edge on Saturday.
Surf lifesavers were spotted using a drone to try to locate the shark that attacked Mr Begg.
If found, the shark will most likely be euthanized.
