Fraser Island fisherman mauled after hauling shark into boat
The unnamed victim was lucky to have only a leg in the water when the shark decided it was time for dinner. Photo: Getty
A Queensland man’s afternoon fishing trip has taken a major turn for the worse after he was mauled by a shark off the Fraser Island coast.
The man, in his 50s, was fishing from a boat around 35 kilometres off shore around 3.30pm on Thursday afternoon when he hooked a whitetip shark.
When he went to free the animal from his line, the man was bitten on the arm.
His fishing buddies had to battle the marine predator to free him from the shark’s jaws.
They raced him to shore while summoning help and he was airlifted to the Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital in a stable condition, with significant injuries to both hands.
The incident is the latest in a series of recent shark encounters in Australian waters, coming just over a week after 46-year-old Nick Slater was fatally mauled by a great white on the Gold Coast.
-AAP