A surfer has been taken to hospital after being bitten by a shark off the coast of a New South Wales national park campground, the state’s fourth incident in 48 hours.
According to The Guardian, the local health district said the man, 39, was in hospital in a stable condition with minor injuries. The attack took place near the Point Plomer campground, less than 20km up the coast from Port Macquarie, on Tuesday morning.
The man escaped serious injury and was recovering with minor cuts and grazes, the Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive, Steven Pearce, told the ABC.
“If anyone’s thinking of heading into the surf this morning, anywhere along the northern beaches, think again,” Pearce said.
“We have such poor water quality that’s conducive to bull shark activity. We have two people critically injured in hospital this morning. Just go to a local pool, because at this stage, we’re advising that the beaches are unsafe.”
Donna Wishart, a communications manager at Surf Life Saving NSW, said the agency had activated drone surveillance and lifeguard teams in the area near Crescent Head, who were travelling to the beach on jetskis.
She confirmed the group had been told the man suffered grazes to his leg after coming into contact with a shark.
The Sydney region has seen a spate of shark attacks in recent days following a period of heavy rain.
