Australian surfer’s leg washes up on shore after shark attack

Doctors are working out whether they can reattach the leg

Kai McKenzie, 23, was surfing near Port Macquarie in New South Wales (NSW) on Tuesday, when he was attacked by a 3m (9.8ft) great white shark, which managed to severe his leg.

After fighting off the shark, he managed to catch a wave to shore, where an off-duty police officer made a makeshift tourniquet using his dog's lead to stem the bleeding.

The severed limb then washed up on shore a short time after the attack and was put on ice by locals, NSW police said.

McKenzie and the leg were airlifted to Port Macquarie Base Hospital, then transported to John Hunter Hospital on Wednesday morning. Doctors have been racing against to see if they could reattach the limb, but it has not been revealed whether any surgery was successful.

The 23-year-old is in a serious but stable condition Sky News Australia reports.

NSW ambulance service Hastings South acting duty manager, Kirran Mowbray praised the off-duty police officer's quick thinking in helping treat McKenzie.

He said: “He used the lead off the dog as a tourniquet to wrap around the young man’s leg and essentially saved his life until the paramedics got there."

He added that McKenzie was "quite calm and able to talk to us – he was completely with it", describing him as a "really brave and courageous young man."

The sponsored surfer had only recently returned to the water after suffering a serious neck injury.

Back in January, he posted on Instagram: "“So happy to be back surfing after having a fractured neck."

A GoFundMe has been set up by his family to help cover his medical and rehabilitation costs. At the time of writing, the page has raised AU$103,553 (£53,000).

The family say: "Kai McKenzie, 23, from Bonny Hills, was in the surf at North Shore Beach in Port Macquarie when he was attacked about 11am on Tuesday. He saw the shark approach and was able to fight it off but suffered a severed right leg.

"Clinging to life, he was able to catch a wave back to the beach. A retired police officer used his dog’s lead as a tourniquet to stem the bleeding before the victim could be airlifted to hospital.

"Kai is currently in John Hunter Hospital where he has had surgery and is in a stable condition. As you can imagine, the upcoming medical expenses for his recovery and rehabilitation is something no one would ever be prepared for. The funds raised will go in assisting Kai in every aspect of his recovery.

"Please dig deep for this family to assist with Kai’s recovery and rehabilitation. I am a neighbour of The McKenzie’s. They are a local family with hearts of gold that would never expect or ask anything of anybody, so let’s give back and show them that they have the communities support in this."