A teenage boy has been attacked by what’s believed to have been a bull shark at the popular Cabarita Beach on Sunday. According to 9 News, he sustained multiple injuries to his upper right arm, wrist, and right leg. He was airlifted by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter to Gold Coast University Hospital, where he remains in serious but stable condition.
The attack occurred on an overcast and rainy winter’s afternoon at the NSW beach, during whale season, a time of year which can be considered prime time for sharks. Bystanders rushed to help the boy, including an off-duty paramedic who applied a torniquet.
Freelance Gold Coast surf reporter Nicka35 shared a clip to his Instagram showing the shark chasing surfers all the way to the shoreline, before veering back out to sea.
“People in the lineup mentioned they saw a massive fin swimming and hanging out for quite a long time after the attack,” he posted.
NSW Shark Smart tagged and released a tiger shark at Cabarita two days prior to the attack.
It’s currently peak whale migration season, with an estimated 40,000 humpbacks travelling north along the East Coast of Australia. With them, sharks of all kinds lurk behind acting as predators.
Statistically, shark attacks spike from June through October. Especially in the Northern Rivers, where the coast kinks outward and migrating whales brush close to the points — Lennox, Broken, Byron.
Our thoughts are with the boy and his family during this difficult time. We hope he makes a full recovery.
