Overview
- A 20‑year‑old surfer said a shark bit his foot while he sat on his board off Red Cliff Road on the NSW Mid North Coast and the animal became tangled in his surfboard leash.
- He says he kicked the shark in a reflex that made it release him, the leash snapped and he swam back to shore without his board.
- Friends applied a tourniquet on the beach and NSW Ambulance paramedics took the man to hospital with non‑life‑threatening foot injuries.
- Surgeons repaired ruptured tendons and torn muscle but the bite missed major arteries, and the surfer says he is recovering and 'got off lightly.'
- The survivor stressed staying calm during the encounter, described sharks as wild animals that occupy the ocean, and noted such attacks are rare though they underline the value of quick first aid and bystander help.