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Two British holidaymakers seriously injured in Australia shark attack
One British holidaymaker has lost his foot and another has been left with serious leg wounds following a shark attack during a boat trip in Australia.
The men, aged 22 and 28, were snorkelling in Queensland’s Whitsunday Islands when they were attacked.
They were taken by a tour boat to shore and initially treated there, before being flown to hospital.
The Whitsunday Islands – near the Great Barrier Reef – have seen other shark attacks in recent times.
Authorities said both men were from England and had been snorkelling on a day cruise.
"One of the male patients was attacked first and the shark is believed to have returned and come back and attacked the second patient," a Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said.
The attack happened at Hook Passage, about six miles from where an Australian man was killed by a shark last November.
There were two other attacks within 24 hours last September and while the victims survived, one – a 12-year-old girl – lost her leg.
Authorities have culled sharks in the area since the attacks last year, but the controversial baited hooks they suspended in the water to keep sharks away were removed due to their impact on other marine life.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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