Young Woman Hospitalized After Shark Attacks Her Leg in New Zealand

Jade Eckardt
·2 min read
4

Another person has been hospitalized from an apparent shark attack in New Zealand yesterday.

A 21-year-old woman is in intensive care after undergoing surgery for a "significant laceration to her leg," according to the New Zealand Herald (NZH)

She was bitten by a shark at around 2 a.m. while "wading in knee-deep water" at a popular holiday and surfing spot called Riverton, according to NZH.

The New Zealand Herald posted the story above yesterday and captioned it:

"A woman has been bitten by a shark in a late-night attack.

"Police urging caution after a woman suffered a significant leg wound in a late-night shark attack while wading in knee-deep water in Southland.

“She received a significant laceration to her leg that required treatment from emergency services."

The woman's mother told the paper that her daughter is "doing well after surgery,"  and that although recovery will be slow, "she will be okay.”

According to the story, the "culprit" might be a sevengill shark, which is named for its seven gill slits, while most sharks only have five.

Sevengill sharks have a varied diet, and will eat sharks, seals, rays, bony fish, hagfish, dolphin and porpoise meat, sea snails and even rats, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Riverton is also known for good surfing at Riverton Rocks, which according to Surf Seeker NZ, "Is a right-hand point break along the rocky point, into a beach break on the sandy beach."

The says Riverton Rocks needs a large swell to get working, but when it does, it's "a nice long ride." Additionally, there's a "beach break with several peaks along the beach, featuring both right and left-handers." Surf Seeker added the waves are usually soft, but fun and "good for all levels of surfer."

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