Three men have been praised for rescuing bodyboarder Matt Lee during a shark attack yesterday.
Lee was bodyboarding off the coast of East Ballina around 10am when his legs were mauled by a great white shark, leaving two gaping wounds in either leg.
His friends saved his life. Immediately springing into action, the two Ballina locals pulled Lee to the shore.
After they got him ashore, another local man who was on his morning walk managed to call 000 to alert emergency services.
The 63-year-old stayed on the phone to 000 for 45 minutes, whilst they talked him and the two other men through saving Mr Lee’s life.
Applying tourniquets and pressure, the paramedic on the line talked the retiree, Allan Everson, and the two friends, through keeping the victim alive until help was able to arrive.
“I was talking to the lady all the time. She asked me to get down there and ascertain his injuries,” said the man, “When I got there the two young guys who brought him in were just holding him, trying to help him. But then when I had a look at the injuries I said you’d better get the helicopter in straight away.”
“They had a tourniquet on top of his legs … what was there. I said you need to get the helicopter here, this guy needs urgent attention.”
The great white off the coast of Ballina.
Luckily, they were able to keep Lee stable enough until the paramedics arrived via helicopter, where they airlifted Lee to a local hospital.
Lee reportedly underwent emergency surgery yesterday, with his girlfriend, Suzy, by his side.
Since the attack, Ballina mayor David Wright, closed down the beach to swimmers and surfers until the great white is safely out of bay.
He is reportedly still considering whether or not to cancel the upcoming surfing competition, the Skullcandy Oz Grom Open.
This attack comes just five months after the last victim, Japanese surfer, Tadashi Nakahara, was killed in February in the very same waters.
