News
Diver attacked by Shark in 2004 attacked again; undergoes 10 hours of surgery
Shark attack victim Greg Pickering has undergone 10 hours of surgery and is in a stable condition after a horrifying attack yesterday.
Mr Pickering – who survived an attack by a 1.5m bronze whaler in March 2004, while spearfishing with a friend about 9km off Cervantes – was working about 180km east of Esperance in Western Australia yesterday when he was attacked again, by what’s believed to be a great white shark.
Just before 9am this morning a Royal Perth Hospital spokeswoman said Mr Pickering was out of surgery and in a stable condition. He is expected to speak to the media about his ordeal in the next few days.
Tonight, Nine News reports that Mr Pickering was bitten on the head and chest, and that he has lost an eye in the attack.
Nine News also reports that Mr Pickering endured hours of travelling by boat and car before he could receive medical treatment.
His quick-think diving colleagues applied pressure on his wounds with anything they could find as he endured a 40km boat tow back to shore.
At the same time, a crew on a nearby boat lent assistance and used a satellite phone to arrange a rendezvous point with paramedics.
Early this afternoon, the WA fisheries department cancelled a “catch and kill” order for the shark.
Director General Stuart Smith issued a statement saying the order had been cancelled because there was no longer an imminent risk of another attack.
“There have been no further sightings of a white shark in the area and it is likely that the shark responsible for the attack is no longer in this general locality,” Mr Smith said.
“Efforts have also been made to advise people camping around Cape Arid about the incident which has reduced the likelihood of them entering the water.”
Capture gear was deployed at the site of the attack yesterday and re-set at 5am this morning.
Earlier today, the department said the shark posed an imminent threat to campers to the area during school holidays.
But Mr Smith conceded this morning it was possible the wrong shark could be caught.
“We probably won’t know for sure unless there’s evidence of DNA that we will be able to test,” he told reporters this morning.
Mr Smith admitted the DNA results would not come back until after the animal was killed.
But he added that the size of the animal would also help to determine if it was likely to be the shark that attacked Mr Pickering.
Mr Smith said the department’s shark experts had informed him that the shark could have swum away from the area or it could remain lurking in the waters for some time.
It is the second time a kill order has been issued in WA.
On the previous occasion, two tiger sharks were caught and released after they were tagged, but the great white shark the department was looking for was not found, Mr Smith said.
A department spokeswoman said a decision on whether to continue with the kill action would be made this afternoon.
Australian Underwater Federation WA spearfishing representative Graham Carlisle told reporters that Mr Pickering was an active and respected member of WA’s diving community and had held the position as records officer with the federation for many years.
“Greg has always been involved in the ocean life; he’s spent a lot of his time in the water both for pleasure and for work,” he said.
“He would have had a number of close calls, as would any spearfisherman.
“The more time in the water, the higher probability something will happen. That’s just an accepted reality of the work.
“The guys are very cautious, they’re very careful in general.”
Mr Carlisle said the diving and spearfishing community was very close-knit in WA.
“All the abalone divers know each other and the spearfishermen are just as tight,” he said.
Police were alerted to the attack at 10.25am yesterday morning. It’s believed Mr Pickering suffered serious injuries.
He was taken to shore by divers on a nearby boat and transferred to Esperance Hospital by St John Ambulance just before 2pm.
For more on this story click here.
Source: www.news.com.au
Photo: Jordan Shields
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Ho Ho Ho! Vobster Quay’s recording-breaking charity Santa diving event returns on Sunday 15th December 2024 for another round of festive fundraising frivolities. Run in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes, this ever-popular annual fundraising event aims to raise sack-loads of cash for these two very deserving charities.
Divers of all levels are invited to grab their Santa outfits – and as much festive cheer as they can muster – and head down to Vobster Quay near Mells, Somerset for a mass sponsored Santa dive in aid of charity. In previous years, the event has attracted divers from the far corners of the UK to join in the festive merriment for a final festive dive before the Christmas and New Year break. Back in 2015, the event smashed the world record for the most Santa divers with 188 divers taking to the waters donning their festive finery – a record that remains unbeaten to this day!
Vobster Santas isn’t just about setting records – it’s also about raising some serious cash for charity. Vobster Quay encourages all divers to get into the spirit of the season to raise much-needed funds for two very deserving charities – the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes.
Through individual sponsorship and online donations, divers can invite their friends, family and work colleagues to sponsor them to plunge into the balmy waters of Vobster Quay dressed in full festive finery. Since the very first Santa dive in 2007, the event has raised over £52,000 for charity. “It’s been over 17 years since the very first charity Santa dive took place at Vobster Quay and every year the event just keeps getting bigger and better” enthused Vobster Quay owner, Amy Stanton.
“Vobster Santas is a great way for divers to say a massive thank you to the both the RNLI and Help For Heroes – two very deserving charities close to our hearts. We’re immensely proud of all that Vobster Santas has achieved and hope that even more divers will join this year’s event on Sunday 15th December. I’m confident that we can make Vobster Santas 2024 the biggest yet!”.
Divers wishing to participate can get involved by simply registering their attendance at
www.vobster.com/event-vobstersantas.php.
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