A man has been rushed to hospital after being bitten by a shark off the coast of Queensland.
The man in 60s was attacked while spearfishing near Curtis Island in Gladstone, 568km north of Brisbane, at about 8.25am on Monday.
He sustained bites on both arms and one hand, causing severe bleeding, and was rushed to Gladstone Hospital in a stable condition.
Bystanders performed CPR on the man on Curtis Island before emergency services were able to transport him via police boat to Gladstone.
Acting Officer in Charge Gladstone Station Danielle Martin said the bystander’s efforts were crucial in getting the man to safety.
‘We don’t respond to these very often but when we do they are a unique incident that require us to work with other services to bring the patient to hospital in a timely manner,’ she said.
‘We were lucky in this case as shark bites can be significant but we were able to transport him with minor to moderate injuries on this occasion.’
A man in his 60s was bitten by a shark while spearfishing off Curtis Island, Queensland, at 8.25am on Monday (stock pictured)
Bystanders performed CPR on the man before emergency services could transport him to Gladstone Hospital
Fisheries Queensland has offered its assistance wherever it may be needed.
‘Our thoughts are with the injured man and anyone who witnessed the incident, as well as those who assisted at the scene,’ a spokesperson said.
‘There are no shark nets or drumlines at this location and there is no information currently available about the circumstances or the shark species involved.’
There have been four shark attacks in Australia this year, according to data from the Australian Shark-Incident Database.
A thirteen-year-old girl who was attacked at Bargara Beach, 236km south of Curtis Island, at 4pm on March 12.
The girl sustained puncture wounds to her abdomen and lower back while swimming near Nielsen Park Beach and was treated for minor injuries at the time.
Fisheries Queensland warns swimmers to always check signage at beaches to ensure no sharks are present, avoid swimming near dawn or dusk and swim in clear water where nobody is fishing.