Great White Shark Rips Off Rising Aussie Surfer’s Leg

An up-and-coming surfer was attacked by a great white shark on Tuesday in the waters off New South Wales, Australia. Kai McKenzie, 23, was surfing North Shore Beach in Port Macquarie when an estimated 15-foot shark latched onto his leg.

McKenzie put up a fight against the shark, but reports say he lost his leg. Still, he was able to catch a wave to shore, where a retired police officer found him, and then he was airlifted to the hospital. Currently, his condition is reported to be stable but serious.

“He saw the shark,” Kirran Mowbray, a NSW ambulance worker, told 10 News First. “He was able to fight it off. He was very courageous. He turned around and caught a wave into shore. He [the retired police officer] used the leash off his dog as a tourniquet for the young man’s leg. He essentially saved his life. The only person that saw the shark was the young man himself. He was quite calm. He was able to talk with us. He was completely with it.”

McKenzie is a team rider for Rage, the purple-hued surf grip and hardware brand founded by Creed McTaggart, Noa Deane, Beau Foster, Ellis Ericson, and Toby Cregan. He’s a part of the exclusive crew including Shaun Manners, Jaleesa Vincent, Jake Vincent, Wade Goodall, Craig Anderson, Kai Hing, and Holly Wawn.