SURFER BITTEN AT BALLINA
A NORTHERN NSW teacher is expected to be released from hospital today after fighting off a 1.5m shark in the surf at Ballina yesterday morning.
Lee Jonsson, 43, was attacked while surfing at Shelly Beach just after 8am Queensland time.
It is believed Mr Jonsson, a father-of-two, fought off the shark of unknown species with his board.
Mr Jonsson, a Ballina primary school teacher, drove himself to the Ballina District Hospital following the attack.
He was shortly after transferred to Lismore Base Hospital in a stable condition, with a 20cm wound on his left calf.
All beaches from South Ballina to Lennox Head were immediately closed. A decision on when to reopen them will be made this morning.
Ballina Mayor David Wright, who attended the scene at Shelly Beach, said the man was surfing when he was attacked.
“He said he was bitten on the leg by a large shark which pulled him off his board,” he said.
“He said he tried to hit the shark with his board.
“Council is working with Surf Lifesaving and the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to ensure everyone’s safety.”
A NSW Department of Primary Industries spokeswoman confirmed a third trial of shark nets was not planned for Northern NSW beaches, after a second trial finished in May.
“The SMART drumline trial is continuing, with 35 SMART drumlines deployed daily, weather permitting, between Evans Head and Lennox Head. SMART drumlines were deployed off Shelly Beach and adjacent beaches early yesterday morning at around the time of the incident,” the spokeswoman said.
“A DPI shark biologist will assess photographs of the wounds to try to determine the species responsible for the incident.
“There is no one solution or silver bullet when it comes to mitigating the risks of sharks to beach users, which is why the NSW Government uses several innovative approaches including SMART drumlines, aerial surveillance and VR4G listening stations to provide the most effective shark attack mitigation measures at NSW beaches.”
The man was attacked at the same beach where Japanese surfer Tadashi Nakahara was killed by a great white shark in 2015.