MDUMBI – Shark incident

At approximately 14h00, Monday, 1 May, NSRI were notified of a man reported to have been bitten by a shark while free diving at Mdumbi.

Bruce Sandman, NSRI Headquarters Operations Manager, said:

NSRI Mdumbi lifeguards and NSRI Headquarters lifeguard instructors, who are in the area conducting lifeguard training, responded.

On arrival on the scene, it was found that a local adult man had sustained lacerations from a shark bite and he was in a stable condition.

He was transported by private transport to a local medical clinic where he was attended to by a doctor.

NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), an NSRI Headquarters Operations duty controller, NSRI East London duty controllers, and NSRI Eastern Cape regional duty controllers alerted the EC Government Health EMS who dispatched their EMS helicopter, Mercy Wing 9.

The man, believed to be aged 40, in a stable condition, was airlifted to the hospital in the care of EMS paramedics for further medical care and he is recovering.

NSRI and local authorities are appealing to bathers in the area to be cautious.