A man in his 50s was bitten by a shark while snorkeling near Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef. He sustained injuries to his arm and was airlifted to Bundaberg Hospital in stable condition. The incident occurred on Thursday morning, prompting the closure of nearby snorkeling zones.
On Thursday morning, around 8:30am, a man in his 50s was snorkeling in a shallow reef off the western side of Lady Elliot Island, located about 80 kilometers from the Bundaberg coast in central Queensland, Australia. He was part of a group of three men from a private boat, none of whom were guests at the Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort.
The man encountered the shark and suffered a bite to his right arm, including deep lacerations, puncture wounds to his hand, and possibly to his elbow. Some reports also mention superficial wounds to his abdomen. The group swam to shore and alerted resort staff, who provided immediate assistance, stabilized the victim, and coordinated an emergency response.
"Staff provided immediate assistance, stabilised the man and helped co-ordinate an emergency response," the resort stated.
A LifeFlight helicopter, carrying a critical care doctor and paramedic, was dispatched from Bundaberg to the island. The man was treated on site and then airlifted to Bundaberg Hospital in a stable condition.
In response, the resort closed the western snorkeling zones until further notice. "It is not known what type of shark was involved. Resort staff and marine shark experts are monitoring the closed snorkel zone and all in-house resort guests have been informed," the resort added. Authorities have been notified.
Lady Elliot Island is known for its vibrant coral reefs and marine life, including reef sharks and manta rays, though larger species like tiger, hammerhead, or bull sharks occasionally appear. A great white shark was sighted there in 2020, marking a rare occurrence.