Shark attack at Booti Booti near Forster, man with severe limb injury Pacific Palms, Blueys Bch, Smiths Lake by NOTA - December 1, 2016December 1, 2016 A man has been attacked by a shark this morning, 1 December 2016, at a Booti Booti Beach, which is just between Forster and Pacific Palms. The 65 year-old male was bitten by the shark and has suffered severe lower limb injuries. The man has been airlifted from Pacific Palms Bowling Club helipad and flown to John Hunter Hospital. The man was surfing at Seven Mile Beach, near The Ruins Caravan Park, Booty Point, when he was bitten by the shark. The man was able to swim to shore and contacted emergency services. The surfer received puncture wounds to his foot and his arm in the attack. Emergency services on the scene said, “The shark was a great white and came up underneath his board and snapped in half.” He treated by NSW Ambulance Paramedics before being airlifted. And he is in a stable condition. Due to the incident, Seven Mile Beach will be closed until further notice. Officers from Manning/Great Lake Local Area Command are working with officers from the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries. Further information will be passed on when known. LOCATION: https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Booti+Booti+National+Park/@-32.2463084,152.5271838,13.94z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xf0609b573fef890!8m2!3d-32.2525567!4d152.5303307!6m1!1e1 Release just in…. Beaches Closed Following Shark Attack Beaches south of Forster around the Booti Booti and Pacific Palms area on the Lower North Coast have been closed for at least the next 24 hours after a surfer sustained injuries when he was bitten by a shark on Thursday morning. The 65-year old man who is understood to be a local was surfing at Booti Booti at the southern end of Seven Mile Beach when he encountered the shark at around 9:30am. Following reports of the incident from police, the Surf Life Saving NSW State Operations Centre tasked lifesaving assets including a Duty Officer, Support JetSki, and the volunteer callout team to attend the scene. The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter based in Newcastle also attended and it was found that the man had suffered lacerations to his foot and hand. Due to the isolation of the area the man was transported by road to the local bowling club where he was transferred to the helicopter and airlifted to hospital. As a result of this morning’s incident Seven Mile Beach, Elizabeth, Boomerang, and Blueys Beach have all been closed. Warnings signs have been erected by National Parks and Wildlife personnel and Lifeguards while the public are strongly urged to avoid swimming in the area today. A decision on when to reopen the beaches will be made in consultation with stakeholders including MidCoast Council, Police, National Parks and Wildlife Service, and the Department of Primary Industries tomorrow. The species of the shark involved is not known and the matter has been referred to the NSW Department of Primary Industries for further investigation.
