A 46-year-old fisherman who survived a shark attack while trying to free the predator from fishing nets near Port Elizabeth has been rescued and taken to hospital by National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI).

Justin Erasmus, the NSRI Port Elizabeth deputy station commander, said the incident occurred on Tuesday.

He said a duty crew was placed on alert following reports from a fishing trawler at fishing grounds 30 nautical miles off-shore of Port Elizabeth.

Erasmus said: “A 46-year-old Cape Town fisherman onboard sustained shark bite lacerations to his left forearm and left upper arm during attempts to release an approximately 2.5m shark that had been caught in their fishing nets and had been hauled aboard the fishing trawler.”

He said the shark was successfully released and the alarm was raised before the trawler began heading towards Port Elizabeth.

“In rough sea conditions, once closer to the Port of Port Elizabeth, we launched our sea rescue craft Spirit of Toft accompanied by an EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedic and rendezvoused with the trawler four nautical miles south of our sea rescue station,” said Erasmus.

“An NSRI rescue swimmer was transferred onto the trawler and the fisherman, in a stable condition, walking wounded and bandaged by his crew, was transferred onto our sea rescue craft and medical treatment by the EMS rescue paramedic was initiated.

“He was brought to shore and he has been transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition for further treatment.”

– African News Agency

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