SURVIVOR: Jon Hines fought off a large shark, but suffered horrific wounds to his right arm and abdomen. Picture: Pacephotos Source: PerthNow
SHARK ATTACK: A man is stretchered toward an ambulance at Jandakot Airport late last night after being flown to Perth with arm and abdominal injuries from a shark attack north of Carnarvon.Picture: Bohdan Warchomij
Source: PerthNow
SHARK ATTACK: A man is stretchered toward an ambulance at Jandakot Airport late last night after being flown to Perth with arm and abdominal injuries from a shark attack north of Carnarvon.Picture: Bohdan Warchomij Source: PerthNow
The scene of a shark attack near Carnarvon today which left a man with leg and abdominal injuries. Source: PerthNow
A SURFER injured after he fought off repeated attacks from a shark north of Carnarvon is recovering after a marathon day of surgery.
The injured surfer, Jon Hines, was flown to Royal Perth Hospital overnight on Tuesday and he remains in hospital today in a stable condition.
The 34-year-old had been surfing at remote Red Bluff, near Quobba Station, when the predator struck about 3.25pm on Tuesday.
A Royal Perth Hospital spokeswoman said Mr Hines was in a stable condition and still recovering after a full day of medical treatment.
"He had a long day yesterday,'' she said this afternoon.
A Department of Fisheries spokesman said beaches near the scene of the attack, Red Bluff Point, were closed until sunset yesterday.
The closure didn't stop surfers braving the waters, he said.
The spokesman also said any fresh shark sightings would be treated as a new report.
The department's Shark Response Unit manager Michael Burgess said social media were increasingly being used to swiftly alert people about shark sightings.
Mr Burgess said sightings should also be reported to water police.
HEROES EMERGE FROM SHARK ATTACK
Witnesses have told how the surfer fought off a shark which repeatedly attacked him while he was surfing about 150km north of Carnarvon.
One of his rescuers, Margaret River surfing legend, Geoff Goulden, or "'Camel'', is being hailed a hero for his efforts in saving the man.
PerthNow understands Mr Hines, known as “Hynsey” to his mates and family, is originally from Newcastle but now lives in Margaret River.
Margaret River surfing instructor Josh Palmateer, 42, was at the beach when the attack happened.
He said he had been in the water that morning but was on land when the shark attack occurred.
He said his friends who saw the attack had described it as “brutal.”
“There was a big swell . . . plenty of my mates were around there, they said it was pretty brutal,'' Mr Palmateer said.
“A couple of them helped drag him in . . . they heard him screaming for help and they thought he just hurt himself badly in a wipe-out.
“From what I hear he had to fight it off and it came back and had another go and that’s when it got him on the arm.
“He’s a lucky boy."
Mr Palmateer confirmed Margaret River surfing legend Geoff Goulden was of those who helped bring the injured man back to shore.
“He just told the guy to hang on to his leg rope and he just paddled him straight in,” Mr Palmateer said.
“He did a really good job . . . he is legend of the ocean, he just did what he had to do and he did it well.
“He saved his life I guess, all the people out there - all the girls and boys out there - helped save him.”
Mr Goulden is known as a fearless big wave surfer.
Mr Hines had been staying at nearby Gnaraloo Station, a popular and remote fishing and surfing location.
Initial reports from police suggested he had sustained leg and abdominal injuries but was conscious, however it emerged he was bitten on the abdomen and suffered serious wounds to his right arm as he tried to fend off the shark.
He was first taken to Carnarvon Hospital where he underwent preliminary medical assessment.
EYEWITNESS DESCRIBES RESCUE
One eye-witness told ABC Radio that her children had helped carry the injured man from the water in the wake of the attack but no one in the ocean appeared to have seen the incident unfold.
"The water was full of blood, that's about it,'' the woman told the ABC.
"He was conscious the whole way back though, he was OK. He was in good spirits, as well as he could be.''
Department of Fisheries regional manager Tony Cappelluti said that while the man's injuries were serious, they were not life-threatening.
"The surfer was attacked by the shark, was bitten on the abdomen somewhere, tried to fend off the shark. The shark has then bitten him on the arm and he's got some fairly serious arm injuries,'' Mr Cappelluti said.
Tiger sharks were fairly prevalent in the area but so were tropical species, and neither was it unusual for great whites to be present that far north, Mr Capelluti said.
There had been no recent shark sighting reports at Red Bluff, an extremely remote area of the WA coastline that was well frequented by surfers.
"It's a popular surf area, huge waves and a very, very pristine area,'' Mr Cappelluti said.
"We are not aware of any reports of shark sightings in the area. It's a fairly remote location, frequented by surfers all year round. It's quite isolated, very pristine.''
In July, Ben Linden, 24, became WA’s fifth fatal shark attack victim in just 10 months when he was attacked at Wedge Island, north of Perth.
A talented musician and cabinetmaker by trade, he was taken by a 4m white pointer about 9am on July 14.
In April 2011, a teenager was bitten after trying to feed a 1m reef shark with the carcass of a fish he had just cleaned on a beach near Red Bluff, about 140km north of Carnarvon.
The teen spent the night at a local hospital but was later flown to Perth for specialist treatment.
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