DIAMOND HEAD (AUSTRALIA)- A paddle boarder had part of his hand bitten off friday as he attempted to fight off a what is believed to be a bull shark. It happened off the coast of Diamond Head, a national park south of Port Macquari, New South Wales.
Attack
The shark bit his hand and part of his thigh. The 29-year old man lost his index finger and knuckle as a result of the attack. He was flown by helicopter to John Hunter Hospital for treatment.
News reports said the man, who was camping at Diamond Head with family and friends, was surfing with friends when a pod of dolphins came through the waves. About 10 minutes later, he was attacked.
The shark hit him three times and it is understood he was injured trying to fend off the animal. He was assisted from the water by friends.
National Park
The beach where the attack occurred is located within the Crowdy Bay National Park, and close to the Kylies Beach campground. The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service says on its website that the beaches in the national park are “crowd free”.
Adam Eady, from the Crowdy Head Surf Life Saving Club, south of the attack site, said beaches from Crowdy Head to Camden Haven to the north had closed as a precautionary measure.
Read more at the Sydney Morning Herald