17 Y.O. Surfer Suffers “Severe” Injuries After Shark Attack At Ballina

 
A 17-year-old surfer has been attacked by a shark at Ballina this morning. The incident occurred at around 9am. 
Richmond police inspector Nicole Bruce has made a statement, explaining that the surfer has suffered injuries but is alive and okay. He has been taken to Lismore Base Hospital
“He received lacerations and bite marks to his upper-thigh area, he was assisted into the shore and off-duty nurses treated him.

We’ve got the surfboard and the bite marks will be analysed by the DPI [the Department of Primary Industries].”

Neither Bruce nor witnesses could confirm whether the attack was by a Great White Shark, as no one saw the shark in question properly. 
“There has been [a] sighting of a great white, a four-metre shark, further off the shore but no-one actually saw which shark it was that’s bitten him.” 
The victim, who has not yet been named, was helped back to shore by a friend in order to get help. 
Bruce said that the teenager’s injuries were “severe”, but not life-threatening. 
The inspector said the boys were surfing just past the break, and that you can never be 100% sure that where you’ve chosen to surf is safe. 
“You can never be in the clear, I suppose, it’s just one of those things, you share the water with them, it could happen any day, anywhere.”
Currently, all beaches in the area are closed.

We’ll update this story as more information arises. 
You can read Surf Life Saving NSW‘s statement here: surflifesaving.com.au/news/ballina-beaches-closed-after-shark-attack
Source: ABC
Photo: Twitter / @helenlovesfood.

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