Surfer, bitten by a shark, airlifted to hospital

Picture Louise Mouton, South Cape Forum. UPDATE: SEA RESCUE STILL BAY. Monday, 26th October:42 year old Still Bay resident Stuart Anderson is recovering in a George hospital following surgery for injuries sustained after being bitten by a shark while surfing at Morris Reef, Still Bay, on Sunday.He is in a stable condition.Surfer Jonathan Gersh, 45, from Newlands, Cape Town, who has property in the Still Bay area, was surfing about 20 meters away from his friend Stuart and local surfers Petro van Nierop, 21 and Emile De Jager 19. The three surfers were about 50 meters off-shore when a shark bit Stuart.Petro alerted Jonathan that there was a shark in the water. The surfers made their way to the shore, It is reported that the shark appeared to follow Stuart and Petro for a short while before it disappeared.Jonathan was not aware that Stuart had been bitten and on reaching the rocks realised that Stuart had been bitten and he abandoned his surfboard and assisted Stuart out of the water onto rocks and they were assisted by local surfer, Dawid Van Coller to get Stuart on the shore.The surfers were joined by NSRI junior volunteers Arno Grewe 16 (who had been preparing to go for a surf) and NSRI junior volunteer Leon Combrinck, 17. The group accessed the shark emergency medical kit and bandaged the wounds on Stuarts right leg and thigh while the NSRI Still Bay duty crew were alerted.All of those involved are friends and other members of their surf community helped one another. They are all commended for their efforts.Original Report:Enrico Menezies, NSRI Still Bay station commander, said: At 15h00, Sunday, 25th October, NSRI Still Bay duty crew were activated following reports from NSRI Still Bay crew members reporting a local 42 year old man bitten by a shark while surfing at Morris Reef, Still Bay (in front of the Still Bay sea rescue base).2 NSRI Still Bay crew members were surfing in the vicinity at the time and they assisted the local man out of the water and they were also assisted by another member of the public.The 2 NSRI Still Bay volunteers immediately accessed the emergency shark medical kits kept at beaches in Still Bay and began to use the medical equipment in the boxes to treat the man’s injuries while activating an emergency response.NSRI Still Bay duty crew responded to the scene and the injured man was brought into the sea rescue base where medical treatment continued.WC Government Health EMS and the AMS/EMS Skymed helicopter responded and paramedics took over treatment of the man.The man is being airlifted to hospital aboard the Skymed helicopter in a serious but stable condition suffering lacerations to his right leg on the calf, knee and hip. The patient remained conscious throughout and he is in good spirits.From descriptions given by the surfer it is suspected that a White shark of about 3 to 3.5 meters was involved in the encounter although that cannot be confirmed until investigated by authorities based on the bite marks.TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONESMS 32287 (R1/SMS) with your name and a message of support for our Sea Rescue crew