Overview

• The attack occurred in the evening as a group of youths were fishing on Thursday Island’s Cook Esplanade.
• His friends entered the water, drove the shark away, pulled him to shore and administered first aid.
• Emergency services airlifted the boy to Townsville, where he underwent surgery and is reported to be in a critical condition.
• Torres Shire Mayor Elsie Seriat praised the rescuers’ “incredible courage” and urged residents to stay alert to water hazards.
• The shark species has not been identified; local media describe such incidents there as rare, with the last reported in 2010, and national tallies this year cite eleven attacks including four fatalities.