Man’s arm almost severed off after being attacked by bull shark
Doctors in Australia have managed to save a man's arm after he was attacked by what is thought to have been a bull shark.
The incident took place after Robbie Peck set out to Port Hedland to go spearfishing with friends near his boat off the Pilbara coast on Friday (7 October).
Peck nearly lost his entire arm when he was attacked by the shark, forcing his brother-in-law Clive Fondyke to come to his rescue by making a makeshift tourniquet in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
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Paramedics were called to a boat ramp at about 11.30am local time following reports of a man in his 30s who had received serious injuries, and Peck's group manoeuvred the boat back to Richardson jetty, where the father-of-three, who works as the chief engineer for Pilbara Ports Authority, was carried off by police, paramedics, and friends.
Peck's wife, Emily, spoke to 7News about the ordeal after receiving a call from her husband to inform her of what had happened.
“The sinking feeling in your gut...all the blood drained from my face...shaking...you expect the worst when you hear the words shark attack," she said.
“He thinks it was a bull shark ... surprised him and got his arm. Our four-year-old (who was on the boat) ... he said his dad’s so brave... I think the boys on the boat kept him pretty clear of the trauma."
Peck was taken to Hedland Health Campus for treatment before being rushed via ambulance to a waiting Royal Flying Doctor Service plane. He was transported to Royal Perth Hospital for emergency surgery on his injured limb, but thankfully doctors were able to ensure he didn't lose his arm.
In an update on Saturday (8 October), a spokesperson for Royal Perth Hospital said it was unclear at the moment whether Peck would need more surgeries.
A spokesperson for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) said Peck had sustained multiple injuries and his left arm had 'nearly been severed', but he is now in stable condition.
Fondyke shared a photo of himself standing next to Peck as he lay in a hospital bed and gave a thumbs-up to the camera using his uninjured arm.
Alongside the photo, Fondyke wrote: "Bonded by blood — literally."
Peck's family remained by his bedside as he began his recovery in hospital, with Emily saying their son was excited to travel to Perth and 'go to the Lego shop'.
I'm not sure there'll be a Lego figure quite as cool as a dad surviving a shark attack, but I guess the young boy deserves both, given the circumstances.
Emily Brown