Twin Great Whites incidents in Margaret River area.
We have been alerted of a shark incident that occurred near Gracetown. The #MargiesPro is on hold while we work with local authorities. The safety of our surfers & staff is a top priority. We have mitigation protocols in place and will be enhancing those when competition resumes.
— World Surf League (@wsl) April 16, 2018
First a Brazilian surfer was airlifted from Cobblestones reportedly being hit by a four-metre Great White, then another surfer was stoic at Lefthanders.
The 37-year-old at Cobblestones was bitten on the lower leg just before 8am and managed to bodysurf back to shore. Friends a leash as a tourniquet.
Brett Newland told ABC News “It swam under a couple of guys and came around and bit a third person… It was a large shark and from the way it was behaving, it would have been a white pointer. All the other surfers swam to him, helped him get away from his board and leg rope and helped him get on a wave, and luckily [he] caught a wave onto the reef. The surfers that helped him in got tourniquets on his legs as soon as they got on the shallow reef, and then other people came down from the carpark and put him onto a surfboard and carried him up to the carpark.”
He was flown to Royal Perth hospital where he remains in a stable condition and will have surgery.
WSL immediately put there comp on hold to assess the situation.
After an hour hold, the #MargiesPro is back on with enhanced safety measures, including ski and drone presence in the line-up. https://t.co/DqIoS4Yx3X pic.twitter.com/9pVgKENTer
— World Surf League (@wsl) April 16, 2018
Justin Longrass was bitten at Lefthanders beach about 2.30pm, by a shark estimated at four-metres long.
A second shark attack in Gracetown today. 41 year old Jason Longgrass bitten on his right leg at Lefties. Being treated by paramedics now @9NewsPerth pic.twitter.com/omJm7rOyka
— Michael Stamp (@StampyMichael) April 16, 2018
The WSL resumed the comp after safety checks
