A surfer who lost a leg to a 10-foot shark has recalled the moment an off-duty police officer saved his life as he focuses on getting back into the water.
Kai McKenzie, 23, spent two months in Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital after being attacked on an isolated beach near Port Macquarie on the New South Wales mid-north coast in July.
He recalled repeatedly trying to kick the shark away before finally catching a wave that carried him to shore, where a police officer who was walking his dog on the beach ran to help.
The off-duty police officer created a makeshift tourniquet from his dog’s leash, a maneuver that likely saved Mr. McKenzie from dying from blood loss.
“He came to see me in the hospital and it was a big deal. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him,” McKenzie told a surfing magazine. Stab last week.
“Thank God I had a dog leash.”
As well as struggling with physical scars and having an amputated leg, Mr McKenzie has had to deal with several mental challenges, including stares from strangers.
“It’s been very hard. Some people don’t read the room and can be quite insensitive,” she said.
‘Hopefully when I get a prosthesis it will be different.
“Right now, I’m just walking on crutches, so I’m obviously a ball of a dog. If it wasn’t for Eve (his girlfriend) and my parents, who were by my side the whole time, my mind would be in a totally different place than it is now.”
Kai McKenzie (recently pictured with his girlfriend, Eve) spent two months recovering in hospital after being attacked by a shark in July.
Despite nearly losing his life in the ordeal, the surfer is determined to get back in the water as soon as possible.
Even though the traumatic memory of the ambush is still fresh in McKenzie’s mind, the surfer is determined to get back in the water as soon as possible.
He has been consulting with nurses and doctors in hopes of getting a prosthetic leg.
Part of Mr McKenzie’s mental recovery was listening to fellow surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her left arm in a shark attack in 2003.
“I was on vacation and he said, ‘You don’t know what you can do. There’s never been anyone who’s lost a leg who can surf like you. ‘ He explained the reality of the situation and changed my perspective to stay positive,” McKenzie said.
In a recent social media post, McKenzie shared her determination to get back to surfing.
“I’m looking forward to the day when I can come back here. I’m going to give it my all to get there. I know it’s going to be a long road, but I’ll get there. All of your support has motivated me. So let’s go for it,” he wrote.
Recalling the attack, McKenzie (pictured) recalled repeatedly trying to kick the shark away before eventually catching a wave that carried him to shore, where a police officer rushed to his aid.
He also shared an emotional tribute to his girlfriend in August.
“This damn girl has actually been one of the main reasons I’m so motivated. She’s been the best nurse you could ever have!” McKenzie wrote.
‘Eve has done so much for me and I love her so much.
‘This is the first day I’ve been out of the hospital in a month and a half, how fucking good!’
Mr McKenzie also shared his thoughts on a leaked video of his attack that went viral online in the days after he lost his limb.
“There’s no respect. That’s all I see. If that was your son, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to see him either,” he said.
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