In a seriously unlikely string of events, two surfers have been taken to hospital after encountering sharks in their respective lineups off the same stretch of Western Australia’s southwest coast on this Monday. The first, a 37-year-old man, was bitten on the lower leg at Cobblestones beach in Gracetown just a couple km’s away from the Margaret River Pro at around 8 AM. After being separated from his board he was able to catch a wave and bodysurf back to shore where his mates were quick to turn his leash into a tourniquet to stem the bleeding. The man was airlifted to hospital where he remains in a stable condition.
The second unfortunate incident, out at Lefthanders beach, happened at around 3 PM in the afternoon. Jason Longrass, 41, told reporters that he was actually oblivious to the fact that someone had been bitten earlier in the day or that the beach had been closed saying he thought he was lucky to find the line-up so empty.
“We have been alerted of a shark incident that occurred near Gracetown,” organisers said on Monday morning. “The MargiesPro is on hold while we work with local authorities. The safety of our surfers and staff is a top priority. We have mitigation protocols in place and will be enhancing those when competition resumes.”
The Department of Fisheries sent officers to investigate the incident. Under an agreement with the federal government, WA fisheries officers are authorised to kill sharks that are identified as causing a “serious threat” to human life, such as those involved in an attack a rather controversial approach, to say the least. Upon investigation, the carcass of a beaked whale was discovered on a nearby beach which are known to attract sharks,who would have thought
Oh get over it sharks need to eat also.