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THE 11-year-old boy who was savaged by a shark while snorkelling just a few meters from the shore has been pictured after the horror attack.
Archie Blake was snorkelling near Exmouth, Western Australia during the “trip of a lifetime” with his family when he was brutally bitten by the beast.
The boy was mauled by a shark while snorkellingABC
Emergency crews rushed to the beach to help himSeven
The attack happened while the boy was in the water in Exmouth
GoFundMeThe boy was on a holiday of a lifetime with his family[/caption]
The attack happened after 3pm on Saturday leaving Archie with “serious lacerations” on his left leg.
The boy had left Hobart, Tasmania with his parents and three siblings for a camping trip at the Kurrajong Campground at Cape Range National Park they had been planning for years.
Archie and his mum Hazel, were about 50 metres away from the beach when the attack happened.
Marc De Sousa, who was camping in the area and witnessed the incident said the boy had a “decent size” bite above the knee.
He told ABC: “I saw a fair bit of splashing, wasn’t sure what had happened at the time, but as the mum and the two kids started swimming in, the mum waved out for help.
“We ran over and the elder of the boys, I think, got bitten on the leg by a decent shark, I’d say.
“We just made sure he was conscious, made sure he was as good as he could be.”
“My dad got there shortly after I did and he ran off to get the boy’s dad who was a paramedic, I believe.
“We dragged the boy further up the beach, I think it was a rash shirt we used just to apply pressure to one of the bite marks.”
He added that he then ran to the Kurrajong Campground to call for an ambulance which arrived after 40 minutes.
The boy was airlifted by the Royal Flying Doctors Service to Exmouth Hospital.
He is currently in Perth Children’s Hospital in stable condition.
Family friend Ryan Posselt said it was a much-anticipated holiday for the Blake family.
He has set up a GoFundme page to raise funds for accommodation, travel expenses or any rehab Archie might need.
He wrote: “Accomodating the family of 6 near Perth hospital won’t be cheap and then getting Archie, the family and all their gear (including car and trailer) home to Tasmania is going to be a costly exercise.
“This fund raiser aims to take the financial worry out of the minds of a family who serve the community in their capacity as a school teacher and paramedic every day.
“Removing financial worry from their minds will allow them to focus entirely on caring for their children and simply organising the logistics.
“The Blake family have been planning this trip for four years. Delayed and cancelled by COVID, this trip was meant to be a ‘once in a lifetime’ journey with primary school-aged kids to show them this great country.”
Archie is expected to have multiple surgeries over the next few days.
A shark alert was issued in the area following the attack as swimmers were urged to take extra caution in the water.
Beaches were closed from Pilgramunna north to Bloodwood Creek in Cape Range National Park.
Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/22207762/ ... al-attack/