A snorkelling trip turned into a high-stakes rescue when a woman in her 50s was bitten by a shark approximately 200 kilometres off the Mackay coast. On October 30, around 4:30pm, the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) received an urgent call reporting the woman had sustained severe lacerations to her lower leg, requiring immediate first aid and a coordinated rescue effort.
The first responders on board acted swiftly, applying a compression bandage to control the bleeding, which proved essential for stabilising her condition throughout the 10-hour journey to Mackay.
Shane Tucker, QAS Senior Operations Supervisor for the Mackay District, commended the quick thinking, saying it was “absolutely critical that first aid was done and done well.” He added, “Given that they’ve left the bandage on the patient throughout the whole incident… hats off to their first aids on scene.”
The remote location posed significant challenges, demanding a complex, coordinated response. The Royal Australian Navy vessel HMAS Warramunga, which was nearby, was mobilised to assist, arriving around 9:30pm to provide medical support and prepare the woman for transfer.
“Being 200km out was quite a coordinated effort from all services,” Tucker noted. The operation involved precise communication between QAS, clinical teams, and Navy personnel to ensure the patient’s safe and timely transport.
The woman, who remained conscious throughout, reported that the bite caused two deep lacerations, each about 30 centimetres long, on her lower leg.
“The patient was stable and responsive, despite experiencing significant pain,” said Tucker, mentioning that she was likely in shock given the trauma of the encounter.
When HMAS Warramunga arrived at Mackay Harbour around 12:45am, paramedics took over, transporting her to Mackay Base Hospital for further treatment.
Reflecting on the rescue, Tucker once again acknowledged the teamwork and precision displayed by all emergency services involved.
“Obviously being quite a distance away there was quite an extensive co-ordination to retrieve this patient,” he remarked.
Details about the shark remain unknown, as neither its species nor its size was observed following the incident. Reports indicate that the attack occurred near a reef roughly 200 kilometres offshore. Addressing questions about the specific location of the attack, Tucker explained, “Unfortunately, we don't know too much of that in detail…particularly as it was so far off the coast…we are just concentrating on the patient and her injuries.”
QAS was notified at 4.30pm on October 30, that a woman in her 50s had sustained lacerations to her lower leg from a shark bite while snorkelling about 200 kilometres off the coast. Photo credit: Hannah McNamara
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