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Swimmer ‘extremely lucky’ after shark attack near Manly Beach

Manly Beach was closed after the shark attack.

Manly Beach was closed after the shark attack. Photo: Twitter/Jane O'Connell

Paramedics say a swimmer is “extremely lucky” to be alive after a shark attack near Sydney’s Manly Beach left him with a deep gash to his leg.

According to witnesses, Peter Schultz suffered the leg injury, a puncture wound to his torso and cuts to his back and stomach while he was swimming with a group at Shelly Beach before sunrise on Tuesday.

The well-known ocean swimmer, who is part of Manly’s Bold and Beautiful swimming club, was taken to Royal North Shore Hospital for treatment.

shark attack manly beach

Peter Schultz survived a shark attack at Manly Beach on Tuesday. Photo: ABC

Danny Lucas was also swimming at the beach on Tuesday morning and told ABC Radio Sydney there was initial confusion about the attack.

“We were about three-quarters of the way to Shelly Beach when our group stopped and said someone was calling out,” he said.

“We couldn’t really see anything.

“But then we realised our friend had managed to actually swim to shore and was yelling for us to get out because he had been bitten by a shark.

“He had lacerations to the stomach and to the back and then a deep gash down his left leg.”

Mr Lucas said people called an ambulance after Mr Schultz got out of the water.

“There was a reasonable amount of blood on the footpath and there were a number of passers-by who were looking after him and calling the ambulance,” he said.

“He [Mr Schultz] was very lucid and kept a good sense of humour, we were chatting to him.”

NSW Ambulance acting inspector said Mr Schultz’s injuries were not life threatening.

“He is extremely lucky,” he said.

“We know this could have been a lot more serious than it was.”

The NSW Department of Primary Industries said shark biologists were working to determine the size and species involved.

NSW Police said no shark had been spotted in the area.

Mr Lucas said Mr Schultz did not see the shark.

“He just said he felt it, then waited a few seconds to see if it was going to come back,” he said.

“We swam a bit more briskly than we normally would.”

-ABC

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