In a harrowing event, a young Australian surfer faced a great white shark off the coast of New South Wales. Kai McKenzie, 23, was captured on video making a frantic dash towards the shore, just moments before the shark attacked, resulting in the loss of his leg.
The video, which has since been widely shared, reveals a large gray fin appearing from the water just behind McKenzie’s surfboard. The shark, believed to be approximately 10 feet long, bit into McKenzie’s board and severed his right leg, which was later discovered on the beach.
Despite the horrifying ordeal, McKenzie managed to repel the shark and ride a wave back to the shore. A police officer who was off-duty at the time and present at the scene, used a dog leash to fashion an emergency tourniquet around McKenzie’s severely wounded limb.
The attack took place on July 23 near Port Macquarie. Shortly after the incident, locals discovered McKenzie’s severed leg and preserved it on ice. It was quickly transported to the trauma center where McKenzie was receiving treatment, with the hope that surgeons might be able to reattach it.
However, a subsequent Instagram post by McKenzie, displaying his right leg amputated above the knee, indicated that reattachment was not possible. In the post, McKenzie expressed his gratitude for the support he had received and made a promise to return to the water soon, despite the significant setback.
Before the shark attack, McKenzie, a sponsored athlete, had just returned to surfing after a period of recovery from a neck injury. Following the incident, a GoFundMe campaign has been established to help cover his medical expenses. The campaign has already raised over $114,000 in donations.