- WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
- A 15-year-old surfer has recounted the chilling moment he was bitten by a shark
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A young Australian surfer has told of the horrific moment he was bitten by a shark while surfing off the coast of Dawesville, Western Australia, on Tuesday.
Zachary Hlaing, 15, was surfing at Pyramids Beach at around 5.40am when he felt “something catch on his leg”.
The surfer realized he had been bitten by a large shark and is now reportedly awaiting surgery after six deep cuts were left on his left leg and foot. Although he is in stable condition at the Peel Health Campus.
According Western Australia The surfer has “several pieces of shark tooth or possibly bone” lodged in his leg after the incident.
“It all happened very quickly,” he told 7NEWS reporters outside the Peel Health Campus.
“I felt like something grabbed my leg and then shook it a little bit and let it go,” he added.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
He was waiting to catch a wave when the incident occurred, and the 15-year-old surfer revealed that the shark had splashed his tail before swimming away.
WA authorities have said the shark was 2 meters long, but the species of the animal has not yet been identified.
“We saw a big tail flap and a big splash and then it got loose and swam away,” the teen said.
After the shark swam away, the teenager, who admitted to being in shock, began paddling back to shore.
“I was just in shock. We got on the boards and started paddling; we didn’t really think about anything, we just went in,” he said.
“(It) didn’t really hurt or anything because I was still in shock.”
Despite the chilling encounter with the shark, Hlaing has not stopped returning to the water.
“I’ve been surfing pretty much my whole life because dad got me into it and we live near the beach, so it’s pretty much all I do in the summer,” the 15-year-old added.
“I might not go to the same place for a while, but as soon as I can I’ll be there.”
He has been praised by local Jay Reeves, who was also about to enter the water with his board, before one of the Hlaing group members alerted him to the incident.
Reeves said he had carried the young surfer down the beach to his car, wrapping his leg in a towel to stop the bleeding before rushing him to hospital.
“He got back on his board and started paddling and he was very calm,” Reeves told The West Australian.
‘When he lifted his foot you could see blood dripping from his foot onto his calf. He had a laceration and also a cut on his foot.
‘I left the children to start the car because they had come on bicycles.
“I ran when he came out with blood dripping, so I put him on his back and ran to the car. I wrapped his foot in a towel, put him in the car and took him straight to the hospital.
Mandurah City Rangers subsequently closed Pyraminds Beach 1km on either side of where the incident took place.
Reeves also became enamored of the young surfer, calling him the “most gnarly little guy,” stating that he didn’t panic one bit after realizing the nature of his injuries.
‘He was a gnarly little guy. “It was absolutely calm,” he said.
“I think the fact that he was so relaxed and we had to make sure he was okay so there was no panic at all.”
If you see a shark, report it to the Aquatic Police at 9442 8600
More to follow…