Shark attack victim recovering in Mossel Bay hospital

NSRI spoke to Jacques Mostert, 29, from Centurion, this morning by telephone and he is in good spirits and recovering well in a Mossel Bay hospital.

“He told us that his friend had exited the water while they were surfing and on his way out of the surf he was circled by a shark which bit him. He manged managed to swim out of the surf  with the help of his friends who ran into the water to assist him to get out of the sea before raising the alarm,” the NSRI said.

Mostert was attacked and bitten by the 4-metre shark  on his left upper leg and his left knee while surfing at Sand Beach, Jongensfontein, 20 kms up the coast from Stilbaai on 6 July.  The 29 year-old Mostert, from Eldorado Park, Centurion, suffered heavy blood loss from two serious lacerations to his leg and others to his knee.

Though having lost a lot of blood , he was conscious when NSRI Stilbaai volunteer sea rescue duty crew, Cape Nature and Police reached him on the beach. NSRI medics and local doctor, Dr Pieter Joubert, treated the man on the beach, stabilising him . They used a tourniquet bandaging and intravenous fluid replacement to compensate for massive blood loss, plus oxygen therapy. An ER24 ambulance was summoned and the patient was transported to hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Rico Menezies, NSRI Stilbaai station commander, said at 5.17 pm this afternoon NSRI Stilbaai volunteer sea rescue duty crew, the SAP and Cape Nature were activated following reports of a man bitten by a shark.

“Initial estimates based on  eye-witness accounts and from the bite marks we estimate the shark to have been between 4 and 4.5 meters but the species of shark is not yet confirmed,” Menezies says.

Menezies says Mostert was on holiday with friends and it’s believe his brother was with him. The parents in Centurion have were informed and reassured their son was doing well and in good care.

 “Hospital staff and doctors at Life Bayview hospital in Mossel Bay stitched his wounds last night and he remains in hospital receiving treatment but he is out of danger.”