Shark attacks on the rise
Family thanks medics after latest marine bite in Whitsundays
THE family of a young girl rushed to hospital after a reported shark attack at Hamilton Island have released a statement.
The Queensland Ambulance Service on Thursday reported a young girl and her grandmother, a woman in her 60s, had been treated after they were bitten by a shark in shallow water.
Despite initially confirming the pair were attacked by a shark, tourism bodies on Thursday claimed the bite was actually from a toadfish.
The severe injuries sustained by the young girl in the marine attack required emergency transport to the mainland where she was treated by a specialist surgeon.
“We would like to thank everyone who has looked after our daughter and mother, from the care provided on the beach through to our arrival in hospital,” the family said in a statement. “We were very fortunate that a surgeon and a nurse from Townsville who were (on holiday) there, helped us out as soon as we got out of the water.”
The family thanked the beachgoers who helped as well as lifesavers, ambulance crews, Hamilton Island medical centre staff and staff at both Pros- erpine and Mackay Base Hospital, describing the care as “nothing short of amazing”.
The young girl will remain in hospital to undergo further surgery on her foot before the family returns home to Sydney.
Thursday’s incident comes after the death of Victorian man Daniel Christidis, 33, in November after being bitten by a shark at Cid Harbour.
That followed two separate shark attacks within 24 hours in September on Tasmanian woman Justine Barwick and Victorian Hannah Papps, 12.
Shark expert Samantha Munroe said it was difficult to say what was behind the string of attacks given the Whitsundays has had low numbers in the past, despite being home to dangerous tiger and bull shark species.
But she said an increase in the number of people in waters across Australia correlated with a rise in attacks over the past 50 years.
“Attacks are extremely rare in the Whitsundays,” Dr Munroe said.
“There are no solid theories that really exist to explain why most shark attacks occur or why there would be a spike following what has essentially been a very long period of no attacks in the area.
“There has been an increase in attacks in the past several decades, but globally and nationally this increase is consistent with increases in our population and the number of people who visit the beach to swim, or snorkel or surf.
“At a national level, that’s probably the best explanation for current trends.”