Young man survives shark encounter

Deon Truter, NSRI Plettenberg Bay station commander, said: 'At 17h10, Friday, 26th June, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated following reports from eye-witnesses of surfers congregating around a surfer in the surf zone off Look Out Beach, Plettenberg Bay. The eye-witnesses suspected that the surfer may be in difficulty.'The NSRI Plettenberg Bay emergency call-out siren was sounded for our duty crew to respond to base and almost immediately additional eye-witnesses were phoning in to report that the surfer had been bitten by a shark.'NSRI Plettenberg Bay launched the sea rescue craft AIRLINK RESCUER and NSRI rescue swimmers, NSRI medics and Baycare ambulance services were dispatched to the scene.'On arrival on-scene it was determined that 23 year old Dylan Reddering, from Plettenberg Bay and currently a student at the University of Cape Town (UCT), had been rescued from the water by fellow surfers Lloyd Chapman, Adriaan Augustyn, Wotjeck Orzechowski and his son Tadj, after being bitten by a shark while surfing and Dylan was found to be suffering lacerations and bite marks on the right side of his body, on his ribs, on his buttocks and on his leg.'The bite marks were deep and NSRI medics and Baycare paramedics initiated medical treatment although Dylan remained calm and in good spirits and he was in a fairly stable condition.'Plettenberg Bay Medi-Clinic were alerted that a patient suffering shark bite trauma was being rushed to hospital aboard a Baycare ambulance and Dylan was carried aboard a surf-board to the Look Out Beach parking area where he was loaded into a Baycare ambulance and transported to hospital with medical care continuing en route to hospital.'Once in hospital, medical staff continued with treatment and it appears that the bites have missed major organs and missed major arteries and the patient requires sutures.'Dylan is the son of veteran NSRI Plettenberg Bay volunteer crewman Marty Reddering.'The species of shark has not been determined although it is suspected to be a 2 to 3 meter White Shark. White sharks are common to the area.'Bite marks appear on the surf-board and these bite marks, an account of the incident, and the bite marks and lacerations sustained by Dylan will be investigated by authorities as part of ongoing shark encounter research.'Bathers and surfers are urged to be cautious in the area following this incident particularly with the start of the Winter holidays and caution is advised and the public are advised to preferably stay out of the water until Municipal Authorities advise further.“Dylan has been stabilised at Plettenberg Bay Medi-Clinic and is being transferred by ER24 ambulance to Life Care Knysna Private Hospital for further medical treatment.'TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONESMS 32287 with your name and a message of support for our Sea Rescue crew