A terrifying encounter at Cabarita Beach in northern New South Wales, Australia, saw a 16-year-old surfer viciously mauled by a shark, only to be pursued by the predator as rescuers rushed him to safety, the New York Post reports.
Emergency services were called to the popular beach just before 4PM on Sunday following reports of a serious shark attack.
The nearly seven-foot predator, believed to be a bull shark, launched a brutal assault on the teen, causing severe injuries to his leg, hand, and arm. Reports say one of his arms was left hanging on by a shred of sinew, per News.com.au.
Dramatic footage from the scene captured the horrifying aftermath. Fellow beachgoers are seen hauling the boy out of the water while the shark’s massive dorsal fin cuts through the surf just behind them. Shouts and screams can be heard as chaos unfolds on the shoreline.
In the video, one frightened onlooker can be heard exclaiming: "Oh my God, that's the shark."
Another voice adds: "Oh f**! That's really scary!"*
Despite the danger, rescuers continued to carry the boy out of the water, using a surfboard as an improvised stretcher.
Fortunately, an off-duty paramedic was nearby and quickly stepped in, applying a tourniquet to stem the heavy bleeding.
One of the brave beachgoers who ran to help after hearing the teen’s screams was 39-year-old Brazilian surfer Thiago Collel.
Recalling the ordeal, he told Daily Mail: "When I got to the shore, he had been dragged in by a group of people including an off-duty paramedic who happened to be walking on the beach at the time.
"His bicep was destroyed - you could see all the muscle, flesh and bone.
"He lost a scary amount of blood. I was covered in it."
Collel said the group worked together to keep the boy calm while waiting for emergency services. "We were just trying to keep him calm, holding his head and making sure he was okay.
"I just kept talking to him and he told me how he fought off the shark by kicking and punching it away."
The teen was eventually airlifted by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter to Gold Coast University Hospital, where he remains in serious but stable condition, per Stab Mag.
A second helicopter was dispatched in an effort to locate the shark but was unsuccessful.
While the exact species of shark hasn’t been confirmed, many locals believe it was a bull shark. Some have raised concerns it could have been a two-metre-long great white.