The woman suffered significant injuries to her left lower leg and upper arms
Credit: Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- A woman in her 30s was critically injured in a shark attack on June 13
- She suffered significant injuries to her left lower leg and upper arms
- “There was a huge amount of blood in the water,” one eyewitness recalled
A woman suffered serious injuries in a shark attack this weekend.
Emergency services responded to reports that a “swimmer had been bitten by a shark” at Coogee Beach in Australia at around 11:15 a.m. local time on Saturday, June 13, the New South Wales (NSW) Police said in a news release.
“The woman was pulled from the water by members of the public who commenced first aid before the arrival of emergency services,” authorities said. “Police rendered first aid to the woman, believed to be aged in her 30s, who has suffered serious arm and leg injuries, before NSW Ambulance paramedics attended.”
A shark multiple feet in length reportedly attacked the woman, whose identity has not been shared publicly.
She was left in critical condition and airlifted to St. Vincent Hospital in Sydney, the Ranwick Council said in a news release.
Credit: Getty
The woman suffered significant injuries to her left lower leg and upper arms, NSW Ambulance Inspector Mike Corlis told Nine News.
Photos from the scene show a large group of beachgoers and medical staff gathered around the injured woman while holding towels around her, per News.com.au.
One video posted on Facebook by The Sydney Morning Herald shows what appears to be the shark involved in the attack swimming away moments after the incident.
Credit: George Chan/Getty
An eyewitness told Nine News, “I think the woman had been doing laps in the ocean beforehand, then there was a lot of splashing and thrashing around. There was a huge amount of blood in the water.”
Ranwick Mayor Dylan Parker said in a statement, per News.com.au, “Council lifeguards and emergency responders acted quickly in difficult circumstances, and their efforts have been nothing short of extraordinary.”
“Unsurprisingly, there are lots of very shaken-up individuals right now having witnessed a very scary incident," he continued. “Our hearts and thoughts go out to the woman, her friends and family. The whole community is behind her and wishing her a speedy recovery.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Local beaches Coogee, Clovelly and Bronte were closed following the shark attack incident.
PEOPLE reached out to NSW Health and NSW Ambulance for comment on Saturday, June 13, but not recieve immediate responses.
Read the full article here
