JBay Beaches Closed after Surfer Bitten by Shark
Wednesday 14 July 2021 Beaches around Jeffreys Bay are closed today after a Cape Town surfer, 38, was bitten by a shark while surfing the Point just after sunrise this morning, reports Spike.
Spokesperson for the National Sea Rescue Institute Craig Lambinon said that the Kouga Municipality had closed the beach and swimming area from the Point to Kabeljauws following the incident at the Point early this morning.
Kouga Municipality spokesperson Monique Basson says the 38-year-old surfer, who is from Cape Town, was bitten twice but is in a stable condition. He was treated on the beach for puncture wounds to his right leg and torso and was rushed to hospital by Gardmed Ambulance Services.
The incident occurred at 07h07 this morning. It appears that fellow surfers saw him appear to fall off his surfboard while riding a wave. Jeffrey's Bay has had a stellar run of swell recently.
"It was then discovered, according to eye-witness reports, that he may have been bumped off his board and bitten by a shark and we believe he managed to get back onto his board and he was assisted out of the water by fellow surfers," Lambinon said.
SHADOW ID: White sharks are common around J-Bay. Photo Narriman Mesharaffa on Unplash
NSRI Jeffreys Bay duty crew were activated. An NSRI Bakoven crewman who happened to be there at the time initiated medical treatment using an NSRI shark kit from the NSRI shark kit box that is stationed at Point.
Paramedics treated the man on the scene for puncture wounds to his right leg and his torso and he was transported to hospital by Gardmed ambulance in a stable condition.
NSRI has launched a sea rescue craft, at the request of Kouga Municipality, to patrol the surfline and to alert surfers who may not yet be aware of the incident.