Thaindian News

FISH HOEK, SOUTH AFRICA (BNO NEWS) — A British man lost both his legs on early Wednesday afternoon when he was attacked by a Great White Shark off the coast of South Africa, rescue workers said. He is in a critical condition.

A spokesperson for the National Sea Rescue Institute said its volunteer duty crew was called in at 12.24 p.m. local time following reports that a 42-year-old man had been attacked by a white shark while swimming at Clovelly Corner near the beach in Fish Hoek, a town near Cape Town.

When emergency crews arrived at the scene, the victim was found on the beach suffering from a complete amputation of his right leg and a partial amputation of his left leg below the knee. He was rescued from the water by a bystander before emergency services arrived at the scene.

“The man was stabilized on-scene by paramedics and airlifted to Constantiaberg Medi-Clinic hospital by the Discovery ER-24 helicopter in a critical condition but he is now believed to have been stabilized,” the spokesperson said. “The man was conscious when paramedics attended to him on the beach but was sedated on-scene by paramedics in their efforts to stabilize the patient.”

According to officials, City of Cape Town shark spotters had flown the ’shark present - no swimming’ flag since Wednesday morning to alert swimmers about the threat. In addition, the victim had personally been warned that at least three white sharks had been seen in the area just a short time earlier.

The name of the victim was not immediately released, but the National Sea Rescue Institute identified him as a British citizen who lives in South Africa. “[He is] believed to be from Plumstead, but this has not yet been confirmed,” a spokesperson said.

According to the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida, a total of 79 shark attacks were reported in 2010, the highest number since 2000. Six of those attacked were killed.