The male surfer punched the shark repeatedly until it released the woman’s leg. He then helped her out of the water and up to the beach, where an ambulance and emergency personnel were waiting, said Surf Life Saving NSW in a statement.
Paramedics treated her injuries at the scene, then airlifted her to the hospital for surgery. She is in a serious but stable condition.
“Our thoughts are with the young lady who was injured in the shark attack this morning. And we’d like to praise her fellow surfers who came to her aid so quickly,” said Steven Pearce, CEO of Surf Life Saving NSW, in the statement.
“Our lifesavers and lifeguards moved quickly to close beaches in the area and are now working closely with the NSW Department of Primary Industries to monitor the area to ensure there are no longer sharks in the vicinity.”
All beaches in the nearby area will be closed for at least 24 hours. Surf Life Saving NSW and other local authorities are conducting coastal surveillance, using drones, jetskis and inflatable rescue boats to try to spot the shark.
This is the third serious shark attack on the north coast in recent months, Beverley said.
In April, a Queensland wildlife ranger was killed by a great white, and in January a 57-year-old diver died from a shark attack in Western Australia state.