Posted by on December 11, 2004 at 11:11:43:
In Reply to: Man dies in horror shark attack (Queensland Australia) posted by on December 11, 2004 at 11:07:49:
A man attacked by a shark on the Great Barrier Reef was pulled screaming from the water by friends but died before paramedics could help him.
The 38-year-old from Clifton Beach, in far north Queensland, was spear fishing with two friends at Opal Reef, about 75km from Cairns, when the shark attacked about 1pm (AEST) on Saturday.
He was alone in the water about 60 metres from where the group's boat was anchored, a police spokeswoman said.
"The others in the boat noticed him when he started screaming and also saw that he was vertical in the water," she said.
"They've up anchored and gone straight over to him and noticed that there was a pool of blood around him.
"They've immediately pulled him onto the boat, contacted ambulance and a medical crew was dispatched by helicopter to the scene."
But the man had suffered extensive injuries to his left leg, including a severed artery, and could not be saved by paramedics.
"I believe that he severed an artery and the blood loss was extensive," the police spokeswoman said.
Ambulance officer Leon Oliver said the man had suffered "a very deep laceration, rupturing major vessels".
"On arrival back on the boat the man unfortunately was in cardiac arrest and we were unable to do anything more for him," Mr Oliver told Channel Nine.
The body of the man was flown by Queensland Rescue helicopter to Cairns.
Relatives are being notified of his death and his name has not yet been released.
The boat made its way back to Yorkeys Knob, where the man's companions were being interviewed by police.
It was not yet known what kind of shark was involved in the fatal attack.