Cape Town - A surfer is lucky to be alive after he was bitten by a shark in the Eastern Cape on Wednesday.
The station commander for the Jeffreys Bay National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), Paul van Jaarsveld, said crew members were activated after reports came in of a surfer who was bitten by a shark while surfing at Supertubes at 5.30pm.
He said a bystander had raised the alarm and requested the access code to the NSRI shark bite kit stationed at that beach. The code was given to him.
“NSRI Jeffreys Bay rescue swimmers and NSRI medics responded directly to the scene while an NSRI rescue craft was prepared to be launched,” Van Jaarsveld said.
He said Private Care ambulance services, Gardmed ambulance services, the SAPS and the Eastern Cape Government Health Emergency Medical Services also responded to the scene.
“On arrival on the scene, NSRI medics assisted members of the public who had applied trauma pads to a bite wound sustained by the surfer who was safe out of the water.
“The patient, believed to be aged 50, from Cape Town, was in a stable condition and in good spirits.
“A witness reported that fellow surfers, who had initially retreated out of the water after being alerted that there had been an incident involving a shark, had returned into the surf to fetch the casualty out of the water,” Van Jaarsveld said.
At the scene, medical personnel took over the care of the injured surfer, secured him to a stretcher and transported him to a nearby medical facility for further care.
“NSRI commends the swift action of the public members and the Good Samaritan fellow surfers.
“NSRI and Kouga Municipality are appealing to bathers, surfers and sea users in the area to be cautious,” Van Jaarsveld said.