Surfer’s leg unable to be reattached after shark attack
Phil GallagherA surfer whose severed leg washed up on an Australian beach after it was bitten off by a shark has confirmed the limb has not been reattached.
Kai McKenzie, was surfing near Port Macquarie in New South Wales (NSW) last Tuesday, when what he describes as “the biggest shark I’ve ever seen” attacked him.
The 23-year-old managed to catch a wave into shore, where he was helped by an bystander who made a makeshift tourniquet to stem the bleeding.
His leg washed up a short time later and was put on ice by locals, before being taken to hospital, where a medical team had hoped surgery may save it.
But on Monday, almost a week after the attack, Mr McKenzie posted a picture of himself in hospital and an update on social media.
“Spot something missing? Hahah,” the post was captioned.
Detailing the “crazy shark attack”, in an earlier Instagram post he said the outpouring of public support has “meant the absolute world”.
“To be here… to be able to hold my beautiful Eve and my family is everything to me,” he wrote.
He also thanked the public for the donations that have flooded into a GoFundMe page that was set up to help him with medical bills, which has taken in over A$165,000 ($108,000; ÂŁ84,000).
“I’ll be back in that water in no time!” he added.
A spokesperson for the local health district where Mr McKenzie is receiving treatment would not comment on whether reattachment surgery had been attempted, citing patient privacy.
Authorities say Mr McKenzie – who is a sponsored surfer – was bitten by a 3m great white shark and owes his life to an off-duty police officer who used a dog leash to make a tourniquet for the injured leg.
Mr McKenzie was rushed to a local hospital, before being flown to a major trauma centre in Newcastle, some 200km (124 miles) away. His severed leg also made the long journey.
The keen surfer had only recently returned to the water after suffering a significant neck injury which forced him to take time off from the sport.
In a statement on Thursday, the McKenzie family thanked all of the “medical staff… bystanders and first responders” who had worked to save the surfer’s life.
While Australia has more shark attacks than any other country except the US, fatal attacks remain relatively rare.
