A severed leg belonging to a “courageous” Australian surfer who fought off a shark attack has washed ashore and been taken to hospital in the hope that doctors can reattach it.
Kai McKenzie, 23, was attacked in the water off North Shore Beach, in Port Macquarie, on Tuesday, 7News reported.
He lost his right leg as he fought off the shark and was able to swim to shore, where a retired police officer helped save his life.
“[Kai] was very courageous, so turned around and caught a wave into shore”, Kirran Mowbray, New South Wales (NSW) Ambulance duty manager, told 7News.
“[The retired officer] used the lead of a dog as a tourniquet and essentially saved his life.”
NSW Police confirmed that emergency services had attended the scene of a “reported shark attack”.
Mr McKenzie underwent surgery at a hospital in the nearby city of Newcastle, where he remains in a stable condition, according to a Go Fund Me page set up in his name.
A short while after the attack, Mr McKenzie’s severed leg washed ashore, according to local reports.
His leg was put on ice and taken to hospital in the event that doctors would be able to reattach it, said Kevin Young, vice president of Bite Club – a shark attack survivors group.
“It just blows my brain that might be possible”, he added.
A surfwear brand, Rage, which sponsors Mr McKenzie described him as the “toughest person that we know” in a statement on Instagram.
“He has been through a lot – breaking his back last year, he never once complained, always just got on with doing what he loved as soon as possible. He is an inspiring person,” a statement read.
A long stretch of beaches in Port Macquarie were closed immediately after the attack before reopening on Wednesday afternoon.
Authorities are trying to track the shark responsible for the attack using drones and SMART drumlines – a trap that can move sharks without killing them.
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