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Australia has the somewhat dubious honor of being a hotbed for shark attacks, and one surfer who lost his leg to a great white is hoping it can be reattached after the severed limb washed up on shore shortly after he fell victim to a terrifying attack.
The United States led the pack as the country with the most recorded shark attacks in 2023 due to the 36 people who fell victim to what are officially classified as “unprovoked bites.” However, only two of those encounters were fatal as opposed to the four of the 15 that transpired in Australia, which took the crown in that macabre category.
That makes sense when you consider Australia is a massive island surrounded by temperate waters that serve as an ideal habitat for the approximately 180 unique species of sharks that call them home. Attacks are still relatively rare in the grand scheme of things, but anyone venturing into the ocean needs to be aware of the potential threats.
That’s especially true if you’re surfing, as people participating in that particular pastime are statistically more likely to end up at the receiving end of a shark attack (common knowledge dictates that’s due to the increased resemblance to non-human prey like seals and sea lions, although one study suggests that not actually the case).
There had been seven recorded shark attacks in Australia in 2024 as of the start of this week (none of which were fatal), and according to The Guardian, that number rose to eight on Monday after 23-year-old pro surfer Kai McKenzie was targeted by an approximately 10-foot great white.
McKenzie was surfing off the coast of Port Macquarie in New South Wales when the shark bit him with enough force to sever his right leg before he was able to fight it off and make it back to the shore.
An off-duty police officer who was walking their dog quickly jumped into action and used the leash as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding as they waited for an ambulance to arrive.
During that period, his leg also washed up on shore and was put on ice by locals, and it took the trip with him to a nearby hospital before accompanying him on the helicopter that airlifted him to a trauma center in the city of Newcastle where doctors were hoping they’d be able to reattach it.
There have been no official updates on that particular front yet, but based on the GoFundMe that has raised more than $116,000 as of this writing, it would appear that particular aspect of the surgery was unsuccessful. Thankfully, it does sound like McKenzie is in stable condition after the incredibly harrowing ordeal.