Surfer loses leg in fight with 10-foot great white shark
FILE - Great White Sharks seasonally gather off the coast of Guadalupe Island; divers dive inside cages off the boat Nautilus Explorer in order to safely swim with the sharks on Sept. 15, 2016, 150 miles off the coast of Mexico. (Credit: Dave J Hogan
A 23-year-old surfer is recovering after losing his leg in a shark attack last week.
Kai McKenzie was surfing near Port Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia, on July 23 when he suddenly spotted what he described in an Instagram post as the "biggest shark I’ve ever seen."
The shark attacked McKenzie and severed his right leg before he fought off the animal and managed to make it back to shore.
A retired police officer who happened to be nearby created a makeshift tourniquet with a dog leash to stem the bleeding in McKenzie’s leg, according to a GoFundMe account.
Officials later said that McKenzie was attacked by a nearly 10-foot-long white shark, according to the BBC.
McKenzie’s leg eventually washed up on shore not long after the attack, and it was put on ice by locals before it was taken to the hospital.
The young surfer was airlifted to John Hunter Hospital where medical staff were hoping to save his leg, however, in a recent post to his Instagram account, McKenzie is seen in a photo with his right leg still missing.
"Spot something missing?" his post read in part. Despite the loss of his leg, McKenzie appeared to be in good spirits, thanking "so many amazing people" for the support and donations made to a GoFundMe account created to help cover medical costs.
So far, the GoFundMe account has raised over $170,000 AUD, surpassing the original goal by over $70,000 AUD as of this report.
"Kai has an absolute fighting spirit and has outlined that he intends on returning to the water in no time," the GoFundMe account read.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.