A quick-thinking, off-duty cop saved a surfer in Australia whose leg was bitten off by a shark by using his dog’s leash as a tourniquet, the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) reported Wednesday.
The 23-year-old surfer, Kai McKenzie, was surfing off the coast of New South Wales when a nearly 10-foot-long great white shark bit him, according to the BBC.
Despite losing his leg, McKenzie was able to fight off the shark and ride a wave back to shore where the off-duty cop improvised a tourniquet to stop the bleeding and save his life, the BBC reported. (RELATED: Man Dies After Great White Shark Takes A Bite Out Of His Leg)
Australian surfer’s leg washes up after shark attack https://t.co/TQUWBGu528
— BBC News Australia (@BBCNewsAus) July 24, 2024
A short time later, locals found McKenzie’s leg washed up on the beach and put it on ice before authorities took it to a hospital where doctors are currently trying to reattach it, according to the outlet.
North South Wales first responder Kirran Mowbray praised the off-duty officer’s efforts, telling the BBC, “He used the lead off his dog as a tourniquet … and essentially saved his life until the paramedics got there.”
Mowbray added that McKenzie was “calm” and “able to talk” following the ordeal.
“He’s just a really brave and courageous young man,” she said.
McKenzie, a sponsored surfer who had recently returned to the waves after recovering from a neck injury, said in a Instagram post in July that he was “happy to be back surfing after having a fractured neck,” The Guardian reported.
More than $114,000 has been raised on a GoFundMe page established Wednesday morning to assist McKenzie’s family with rehabilitation and medical expenses, according to the Guardian.
McKenzie’s aunt said the young man was “an incredible surfer, skater, musician, videographer and all-round legend” who “has always lived life to the fullest squeezing every minute out of the day,” The Guardian reported.
McKenzie remains in serious but stable condition, according to the BBC.
