BY COOPER GEGAN
The severed leg of surfer Kai McKenzie washed up on shore in New South Wales, Australia, shortly after he was attacked by a shark Tuesday morning. After the 23-year-old was stabilized, a race against time began to see if the limb could be reattached.
The shark encounter occurred around 11 am Tuesday, when McKenzie was surfing at North Shore Beach near Port Macquarie.
“The man saw the shark approach him, he was able to fight it off, he was pretty courageous and able to turn around and catch a wave to shore,” NSW Ambulance Service acting duty operations officer Kirran Mowbray told ABC News.
Once McKenzie made it back to land, a passing retired police officer came to his aid, using a dog leash as a tourniquet to stem the bleeding until emergency services arrived.
Shortly afterward, the surfer’s severed leg washed ashore, and locals put it on ice, local police confirmed to The Guardian. McKenzie and his leg were then taken to the hospital. When he arrived, doctors assessed whether the leg could be reattached, according to the BBC, but it is still unclear whether they succeeded. Emergency services said that McKenzie was in “serious but stable condition.”
A GoFundMe has been started to cover the surfer’s medical expenses and recovery. As of writing, over $77,000 has been raised.
This story first appeared in The Inertia.
