Shark incident in Muizenberg

At 14h07, Friday, 01 August, NSRI Simonstown volunteer sea rescue duty crew and CMR (Cape Medical Response) were activated following reports of a man bitten by a shark while surfing off-shore of the Pavilion, Muizenberg Beach.The man was reported to have been assisted out of the water.NSRI Simonstown volunteers, CMR paramedics and a CMR ambulance, the SA Police Services, WC Government Health EMS, City of Cape Town Law Enforcement, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services and the Red Cross AMS Skymed helicopter responded.NSRI Strandfontein were placed on alert.On arrival on-scene a 20 year old male, from Newlands (originally from Durban), was found to be in a stable condition with multiple lacerations to his lower limbs (some of which are deep lacerations) and an avulsion to the left thigh.A member of the public had begun first aid treatment on the scene prior to paramedics arriving and the member of the public had cut the surf board leash from the surfers surf board and had tied the leash around the patients limbs to act as a tourniquet to stem the flow of blood.The man has been airlifted by the Skymed helicopter to hospital in a stable condition for further treatment.He was assisted out of the water by his friend.At the time of the incident the Shark Spotters were flying the Black Shark Flag (indicating poor water and weather visibility conditions - a misty haze) and a bystander had approached the shark spotters to inform them that they had seen a shark fin in the water and the incident happened when the Shark Siren (indicating swimmers and surfers to clear the water) was in the process of being activated.Shark Spotters and Law Enforcement officers have closed Muizenberg Beach and bathers and surfers along the False Bay coastline are urged to exercise caution.The species of shark involved has been confirmed by the bite marks to have been a White Shark and eye-witness accounts suggest the shark to have been between 3 and 4 meters in length but the length of the shark cannot be confirmed pending further investigations.These pictures are low resolution but are available on Sea Rescue's Flickr page. At 14h07, Friday, 01 August, NSRI Simon's Town volunteer sea rescue duty crew and CMR (Cape Medical Response) were activated following reports of a man bitten by a shark while surfing off-shore of the Pavilion, Muizenberg Beach. At 14h07, Friday, 01 August, NSRI Simon's Town volunteer sea rescue duty crew and CMR (Cape Medical Response) were activated following reports of a man bitten by a shark while surfing off-shore of the Pavilion, Muizenberg Beach.