Stilbaai Shark Attack

Late on Friday afternoon, the NSRI Stilbaai sea rescue duty crew, the SA Police Services and Cape Nature responded to reports of a man bitten by a shark while surfing at Sandstrand (Sand Beach), at Jongensfontein, 20 kilometers up the coast from Stilbaai, approximately half way between Cape Town and Mossel Bay.

Jacque Mostert, 29, was found on the beach with two serious lacerations to his left upper leg and serious lacerations to his left knee with serious blood loss but conscious.

NSRI Stillbaai medics and local doctor, Dr Pieter Joubert treated Mostert on-scene, stabilising him using tourniquet bandaging and intravenous fluid replacement, to compensate for massive blood loss, and oxygen therapy. An ER24 ambulance was summoned and he was transported to hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Mostert was surfing with friends and his fellow surfers, who witnessed the incident, removed him from the water.

Initial estimates, based on the eye-witness accounts, and from the bite marks it was estimated that the shark was between 4 and 4.5 meters but the species has not been confirmed.

Craig Lambinon from NSRI spoke to Mostert from Centurion this morning by telephone and he is in good spirits and recovering well in a Mossel Bay hospital.

“Mostert said that his friend had exited the water first while they were surfing and on his way out of the surf he was circled by a shark which bit him and he managed to swim out of the surf after being bitten and his friends ran into the water to help him out of the water before raising the alarm,” said Lambinon.

Hospital staff and doctors at Life Bayview hospital in Mossel Bay stitched his wounds Friday night and he remains in hospital receiving treatment but he is out of danger.