A young surfer whose leg was severed as he fought off a three-metre shark has joked about the loss of his limb less than a week after the devastating attack.
Kai McKenzie was rushed to hospital along with his severed leg when he was attacked at the isolated North Shore Beach, near Port Macquarie on the NSW mid-north coast, on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old fought off the shark and managed to paddle ashore where he was helped by an off-duty police officer, who used his dog’s leash to stem the bleeding.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by @kai_mckenzie
Kai McKenzie (second from left) with friends.
Mr McKenzie was critically injured in the attack, but on Monday he shared a social media update showing himself flanked by supporters as he stood near his hospital bed.
“Spot something missing?” he joked of his missing leg in the Instagram post.
“So good to have so many amazing people behind me, I really appreciate it.”
Mr McKenzie’s leg washed up on the shore and was taken to John Hunter Hospital but could not be reattached.
A GoFundMe page organised by Mr McKenzie’s neighbour, Lauren Mac, had raised more than $165,000 for the surfer’s treatment and recovery by Monday morning.
In an update on Saturday, the Bonny Hills resident said it was “everything” just to have survived the attack and be able to hold his loved-ones.
“A few days ago I went through a crazy shark attack (biggest shark I’ve ever seen) which was a very crazy scene and scared the living f*** out of me,” he posted on Instagram at the time.
Mr McKenzie added that he planned to be “back in that water in no time”.
The accomplished surfer, who had several sponsors, previously revealed on social media that he had only returned to the water early in the year after suffering a fractured neck.
Source Agencies
