Australian surfer makes a split-second decision after two shark bites and a severe leg injury

A 50-year-old Australian surfer made a narrow escape after being bitten by a shark. And then, against all odds, he managed to drive himself to a hospital for treatment.

FYI, the shark attacked on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at D’Estrees Bay on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, in a surf area locals call “The Sewer.” According to Shark Watch South Australia, a large bronze whaler shark, which can reach lengths of 11 feet and weigh as much as 660 pounds, is suspected to have carried out the attack, possibly while chasing a seal and using the surfer as a decoy.

Two bites but a cool head

According to eyewitnesses, the shark attacked just after 1 p.m. local time, biting the surfer’s leg twice. But rather than waiting for emergency services to arrive, he climbed into his vehicle and drove himself to nearby Kingscote Hospital. Authorities confirmed he underwent emergency surgery upon arrival, though his condition was described as “serious but non-life-threatening.” Local police and media have not released the surfer’s identity publicly, citing privacy concerns while the recovery continues.

A notorious location for shark attacks

The brave man was bitten in an area notorious for shark activity. In 2020, a shark attacked another surfer, Dion Lynch, in the same waters. Lynch suffered bites to his back and thighs. And he, too, managed to reach help: he walked to a parking lot, where another surfer picked him up and drove him to get help. Paramedics met the car halfway to Kingscote, and he was later airlifted to a major hospital in Adelaide.

While shark attacks remain rare in Australia, encounters with bronze whalers are more common along the southern coasts. These sharks don’t usually target humans, but encounters can occur when they mistake swimmers or surfers for prey, or when hunting activity causes confusion.