Tag Archives: oceania

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'Lot of blood in the water': Kayakers helped shark attack victim to safety

Two kayakers have recounted how they helped rescue a swimmer attacked by a shark at a popular Perth swimming spot.

The incident happened at Blackwall Reach in the Swan River in Bicton about 8am today.

The victim, Cameron Wrathall, was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital by ambulance with a 30cm bite to his leg.

He is now recovering after surgery in the intensive care unit at Royal Perth Hospital.

Authorities believe Mr Wrathall may have been bitten by a bull shark, which are known to be common in the Swan River.

He was swimming with a friend when the attack took place.

As the friend helped Mr Wrathall to shore, two kayakers approached to help.

"We paddled straight over and helped (Mr Wrathall) get out of the water," one said.

"Another guy arrived with a paddleboard, used that to float him around to get him to an ambulance."

The group used the stand-up paddleboard as a makeshift stretcher to carry Mr Wrathall to safety.

"There was a fair bit of blood in the water and the bite was quite a significant one," the second kayaker said.

Both said shark sightings in the river were extremely rare, though they had heard warnings in the past.

Blackwall Reach is a popular spot for swimmers, rock-climbers and paddle-boarders.

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan has described today's shark attack in the Swan River as "a very, very surprising event".

Mr McGowan said it was the first time anyone had been attacked by a shark in the Swan River in 50 years.

The last fatal attack was nearly a century ago in 1923.

Man attacked by shark at Swan River in Perth

Mr McGowan said Mr Wrathall had received a "serious" bite and was rescued by kayakers.

"We all hope and wish for the very best for the man involved and hope he recovers fully," he said.

The premier noted that tagging programs and other precautions undertaken off the WA coast are not in place in the river, as bull shark attacks are so rare.

"Fisheries has cleared the water and are on the lookout in the area but sharks move around. It's very difficult to predict or prevent," he said.

"Many people take precautions, but there is always a risk – however slight."

https://twitter.com/SLSWA/status/1349520892770963456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Last month a great white shark was tagged off the coast of Western Australia, recorded as the second-biggest in the state's history.

Cottesloe Beach was shut twice in one day after the December 11 discovery, with drumlines deployed to catch and tag the monster shark that was lurking off the WA coastline.

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'There's always danger': Inside a croc hunter's day job

Going head-to-snout with one of the planet's deadliest predators is usually the plot of a horror movie – but for the Northern Territory government's Crocodile Management Unit, it's a Thursday. Literally.

Last Thursday was the day the team set out to see if they could track, trap and transport a massive 4.5-metre saltwater crocodile that had been getting a little too close to the Nauiyu community on the Daly River, in the Katherine region of the Top End.

The team, led by veteran croc wrangler Tom Nichols and aided by police, set a trap in the river on Thursday – and by Saturday the big beast was on its way to a crocodile farm.

Mr Nichols told nine.com.au that even though everybody involved in the situation was well-trained, there was no guarantee of safety when coming up against this kind of apex predator.

"There's always an element of danger," he said.

"You have to be careful, but everyone's trained and they know what they have to do."

Mr Nichols has been tracking and trapping crocodiles in the NT for 40 years, becoming part of the Crocodile Management Unit when it was established 23 years ago.

"That's when it became a full-time job," he said.

And full-time experts are needed, given how the nature of Mr Nichols' job has changed over the years.

When he began the trade, the goal was to reintroduce crocodiles to areas where they had been hunted out.

But since salties were made a protected species in the 1970s, the population has steadily risen to booming heights, meaning the focus now was on making sure there wasn't any dangerous "interaction" between the deadly reptiles and people.

Hence the need to trap the 4.5-metre monster that had been lingering around the community.

Mr Nichols said it was the biggest they'd caught so far this year.

"The Daly River has the highest concentration of crocodiles, and the floods during the wet season bring the rivers up closer to the communities," he said.

"They were getting concerned and called the police, and the police called us."

The team does provide training, particularly to Parks and Wildlife employees.

But there's still no substitute for the experts in a dangerous situation – and after 40 years of tangling with some of the world's biggest predators, Mr Nichols still wouldn't have it any other way.

"I still get excited to get up in the morning with this job," he said.

"I wouldn't do it if I didn't like it, so I must like it."

He urged people in the NT to be "croc-wise" all year around, especially during the wet season – keep an eye on your surroundings near water, and only swim in places determined to be crocodile-safe.