Lifeguard paddles toward screaming swimmer as 11-foot shark drags her underwater off Sydney beach

A woman attacked by an 11-foot shark off a popular Sydney beach made it back to shore by hanging onto a lifeguard’s paddleboard after he rushed toward her screams.

What happened?

Off the coast of Coogee Beach in Australia, Ian Ferguson, a doctor relaxing with his family, told The Sunday Telegraph (h/t The Associated Press) he heard screams before spotting a “big cloud of blood in the water.”

Luckily, a nearby lifeguard, Charlie Verco, had sprung into action and had started paddling toward the attack, despite the sheer size of the shark.

Verco told The Sunday Telegraph that “I saw the shark come out of the water and just the size of it shocked me… I kept paddling towards her and the shark took her underwater and I was going ‘What do I do now?’ A couple of seconds later, she popped up again.”

Verco was then able to grab her arm before quickly paddling back to dry land. After the woman reached shore, Ferguson and others used tourniquets on her wounds. He said the bite to her thigh was so severe that bone was exposed.

After the off-duty doctor treated her on the beach, a helicopter flew the 35-year-old woman to a hospital in critical condition. The attack reportedly happened around 11:15 a.m. Saturday and left her with serious injuries to her arm and leg.

Why does it matter?

Shark attacks remain rare, but Australia has been through a deadly recent stretch. Since mid-May, three spearfishing divers have been killed by sharks off the country’s coast, according to The Associated Press.

Heavy coastal recreation, including activities such as spearfishing, and changing ocean conditions can bring people and sharks into closer contact. Shifts in marine ecosystems can also alter where animals feed and travel, raising the stakes for beachgoers, fishers, and rescue teams alike.

Yet, shark attacks are still uncommon. Protecting the places that sharks inhabit can help keep these sorts of violent altercations rare, while also ensuring ecosystems remain healthy and stable.

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