A SURFER has been attacked by a great white shark while surfing off the Pavilion at Muizenberg.
Matthew Smithers, 20, from Newlands, was bitten on the legs this afternoon. Eyewitness said the shark was between three and four metres long.
Smithers has been airlifed to hospital by helicopter and is reported to be in a stable condition.
Gregg Oelofse, head of environmental policy and strategy at the City of Cape Town, who is on the scene at Muizenberg, said today: "He had deep puncture marks on his legs, but he is not going to lose a limb. He is very lucky. I am pretty sure it was a great white, and that's a big animal. He is expected to make a full recovery."
He said friends who had been surfing with Smithers had helped him paddle to shore after the attack.
National Sea Rescue Institute spokesman Craig Lambinon said the Simon's Town rescue crew and the Cape Medical Response had been alerted about the attack just after 2pm.
"On arrival a 20 year old male, from Newlands - originally from Durban - was found to be in a stable condition with multiple lacerations to his lower limbs, some of which are deep lacerations, and an avulsion (bone fracture) to the left thigh.
"A member of the public had begun first aid treatment on the scene prior to paramedics arriving and had cut the surf board leash from the surfboard and had tied the leash around the patient's limbs to act as a tourniquet to stem the flow of blood," Lambinon said.
Skymed helicopters took Smithers to the Vincent Pallotti Hospital.
Shark scientist Alison Kock, who is also on the scene at Muizenberg, said she was taking witness statements from the surfers who had seen the attack.
"It looks like a bite and release. There are deep puncture wounds on both his legs."
At the time of the incident the Shark Spotters were flying the black shark flag which indicates poor visibility.
NSRI said a bystander had approached the Shark Spotters to say they had seen a shark fin in the water.
"The incident happened when the shark siren, indicating to swimmers and surfers to clear the water, was in the process of being activated," Lambinon said.
Shark Spotters and law enforcement officers have closed Muizenberg Beach and have urged bathers and surfers along the False Bay coastline to exercise caution.
Oelofse and his team are collecting information about the attack and will compile in a report on the incident which will be released to the public in about five days.
"Shark attacks are very rare but we take them very seriously. We ask the public not to panic. We are collating all the information we can get about the attack, including stuff like water temperature and sea conditions, which we will provide to the public and the media," Oelofse said.