Surfer Struck by 3-Meter Great White at Iluka Beach

On the morning of September 10, 2017, a 35-year-old male surfer from Suffolk Park was attacked by a great white shark while surfing at Iluka Beach in northern New South Wales. The incident occurred at approximately 06h00 in waters off the main beach, located between Iluka Bluff and the Clarence River entrance wall. The surfer was positioned on his board approximately 300 meters north of the Iluka Wall when a shark estimated at 3 to 3.5 meters in length struck his board from underneath with considerable force. The impact was powerful enough to break the surfboard in half and propel the surfer into the air. After the initial strike, the shark circled but then withdrew from the area. The surfer retrieved half of his broken board and swam to shore. A second surfer, approximately 50 meters away, observed the incident and assisted the injured man as he reached shallow water. Using a first aid kit, the second surfer applied a gauze bandage to the victim's wound and drove him to Ballina Hospital, where his laceration was cleaned and treated. He was subsequently transferred to Lismore Hospital for further assessment, which included x-rays of his hip and several stitches to close the wound. The injury was confined to minor lacerations to the right hip. Environmental conditions at the time included a sea surface temperature of 69°F, mean low tide at 04h29, and a waning gibbous moon at 83% illumination. Iluka Beach was unpatrolled and officially closed at the time of the incident. In response, authorities closed Main and Bluff beaches and activated the Department of Primary Industries shark incident response plan.