Great White Shark Attacks 16-Year-Old Surfer on Christmas in Australia

Jade Eckardt
·2 min read
36

A teenager was bitten by a great white shark while surfing on Christmas Day in Australia.

Julian McLennan, 16, was surfing at Old Bar in New South Wales yesterday when a juvenile great white shark bit his thigh around 4.30 p.m.

His friends drove him to the hospital where he was treated and released in stable condition.

7News Australia captioned the new clip above:

"A young surfer has talked to 7NEWS after surviving a shark attack on the state's mid north coast, off Old Bar Beach, near Taree. The man's mates came to his rescue, treating his wounds, then driving him to hospital."

"I just felt something really strong just grab on to me," McLennan told 7News. "I see a massive fin and start freaking out."

He said the shark was "almost two meters" long.

"I had no clue if I had a leg still," McLennan said.

His friend, Alex Tobin, used his shirt as a tourniquet and with another friend, took McLennan to the hospital.

The shark's teeth left marks on his surfboard and sliced into his thigh.

According to a report by 9News Australia, "The bite was just a few centimetres from McLennan's femoral artery - that few centimetres is the difference between life and almost certain death."

It's also what killed Hawaii surfer Mikala Jones in July.

McLennan says he'll take a break for a "few weeks" but plans to surf again.

The teenager wasn't the only surfer in Australia to suffer a Christmas shark attack.

On Christmas Eve, Troy Brown was attacked by a shark while windsurfing Wedge Island north of Perth. He is also in stable condition.

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