A surfer mauled by a shark may never walk normally again as doctors desperately try to reattach his leg after it was severed in the attack before washing up on shore.
Kai McKenzie, 23, was set upon by the predator at North Shore Beach in Port Macquarie, on the NSW mid-north coast, on Tuesday morning.
He fought off the shark and caught a wave back to shore suffering severe blood loss and a chunk bitten out of his surfboard.
An off-duty police officer used their dog’s leash as a makeshift tourniquet until paramedics arrived and took Mr McKenzie to Port Macquarie Base Hospital.
After his leg washed up on the beach it was placed on ice and rushed to hospital under police lights and sirens, the Daily Telegraph reported.
Mr McKenzie’s devastated loved ones rushed to his bedside where they are in talks with vascular surgeons and specialists about surgery options.
They have made the bleak admission Mr McKenzie faces a ‘long road to recovery’ regardless of whether or not the limb can be reattached.
Neighbour Lauren Mac set up a GoFundMe in the wake of the attack.
‘Kai is currently in John Hunter Hospital awaiting surgery which is just the first step to what will be a long road to recovery,’ she wrote.
‘Please dig deep for this family to assist with Kai’s recovery and rehabilitation.’
Ms Mac said the prospect of losing his leg was a shocking blow to the young surfer who had only just returned to the water after fracturing his neck.
‘They haven’t said yet whether they can reattach his leg,’ she said.
‘His mum and dad told me it’s going to be a long road to recovery regardless of the outcome.’
Mr McKenzie’s aunty Michelle described him as an ‘all-round’ legend in a heartfelt post on Facebook.
‘He has always lived life to the fullest squeezing every minute out of the day,’ she wrote.
‘Yesterday he was attacked by a shark at Part Macquarie doing what he loved.
‘There has been so many offers of support from the community, which is incredible.’
So far Aussies have donated $40,000 to the young surfer.
Members from within the surfing community have also wished him a speed recovery, including his sponsor Rage who shared a heartfelt Instagram post.
‘Sending love to Kai, the youngest RAGE boy on the team and the toughest person that we know,’ it read.
‘Yesterday he was attacked by a shark and has lost his leg while surfing in Port Macquarie.
‘He has been through a lot, breaking his back (neck verterbrae) last year. He never once complained always just got with doing what he loves as soon as possible. He is an inspiring person.
‘The whole rage gang loves you man and we will see you soon.’
The NSW Department of Primary Industries told Daily Mail they suspect it was a three-metre great white shark.
Over the last week, there have been 15 white sharks detected in the area.