Boy loses leg in WA shark attack
December 2, 2006 - 2:49PM
A 15-year-old boy has had his leg bitten off in a shark attack at a West Australian beach.
The boy was body surfing at Wharton beach at Duke of Orleans Bay, east of Esperance, on WA's remote south coast when the attack occurred about 7.30am (AWST).
A spokesman for WA Police said the boy's leg was bitten off just above the right knee.
"He has lost one of his legs," he said.
Stephen Luke from St John Ambulance said the boy was taken to hospital with a police escort.
The boy, a tourist from South Australia, was with his brother, 18, and 15-year-old friend, about 40 metres from the beach when he was attacked by an unknown type of shark.
He was helped from the surf by friends and several tourists who applied first aid, police said.
Surf Life Saving WA chief Paul Andrew said sharks are known to inhabit the area.
He said the boy was taken to the Esperance Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
The boy is now being transferred by air to Royal Perth Hospital for further treatment.
The beach has been closed and a helicopter has been organised to try and locate the shark.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/ ... 35988.html
12/01/2006 Zak Golebiowski (Australia)
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12/01/2006 Zak Golebiowski (Australia)
by sharkbait » Sat Dec 02, 2006 1:42 am
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by sharkbait » Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:34 am
Shark attack terrorCarly Crawford and Nick Taylor
December 03, 2006 12:00am
Article from: Sunday Herald SunFont size: + -
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A SURFER wrenched his teenage brother from the jaws of a huge white pointer shark yesterday.
Zac Golebiowski, 15, was body boarding at a remote West Australian beach when the 5m shark struck, biting off his right leg below the knee and part of his left calf.
Zac's brother Sam, 25, wrestled him from the shark and dragged him to safety.
A New Zealand couple who were passing saved Zac's life by quickly stemming the heavy bleeding.
Amy Worling, 26, and Pete Hickmott, 32, heard screaming and saw Zac in distress in the water.
They called an ambulance to meet them as they raced Zac in their car to Esperance, 80km away.
"I was talking to Zac trying to keep him talking to us and keep him focused on staying awake," Ms Worling said.
Zac received emergency treatment at Esperance Hospital and was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital, accompanied by his eldest brother Jan, 34.
"He's lucky to be alive," Jan said.
Zac, of Mt Gambier, had been surfing with Sam and a mate, 16, about 40m from shore at Wharton Beach when the attack happened.
Zac's father, Les, last night told of his shock.
"You have many emotions running through you, it's unbelievable," he said.
"You think my goodness me that was close . . . he's lost a leg, but at least we've still got him."
His wife, Anne, is on her way to Perth.
Acting Sgt Laurie Seton, of Esperance police, said the attack would have been fatal if not for the quick thinking of the Worlings.
The shark remained in the area for several hours after the attack, but rough weather prevented police and fisheries officers getting close to it.
Late yesterday, the severed limb had not been recovered. Police were believed to have recovered Zac's half-eaten board with shark teeth embedded in it.
The hunt for the shark will resume today.
A decision will be made on whether authorities will kill the shark if it is still in the area. Fishermen plan to set lines.
http://www.news.com.au/sundayheraldsun/ ... 61,00.html
December 03, 2006 12:00am
Article from: Sunday Herald SunFont size: + -
Send this article: Print Email
A SURFER wrenched his teenage brother from the jaws of a huge white pointer shark yesterday.
Zac Golebiowski, 15, was body boarding at a remote West Australian beach when the 5m shark struck, biting off his right leg below the knee and part of his left calf.
Zac's brother Sam, 25, wrestled him from the shark and dragged him to safety.
A New Zealand couple who were passing saved Zac's life by quickly stemming the heavy bleeding.
Amy Worling, 26, and Pete Hickmott, 32, heard screaming and saw Zac in distress in the water.
They called an ambulance to meet them as they raced Zac in their car to Esperance, 80km away.
"I was talking to Zac trying to keep him talking to us and keep him focused on staying awake," Ms Worling said.
Zac received emergency treatment at Esperance Hospital and was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital, accompanied by his eldest brother Jan, 34.
"He's lucky to be alive," Jan said.
Zac, of Mt Gambier, had been surfing with Sam and a mate, 16, about 40m from shore at Wharton Beach when the attack happened.
Zac's father, Les, last night told of his shock.
"You have many emotions running through you, it's unbelievable," he said.
"You think my goodness me that was close . . . he's lost a leg, but at least we've still got him."
His wife, Anne, is on her way to Perth.
Acting Sgt Laurie Seton, of Esperance police, said the attack would have been fatal if not for the quick thinking of the Worlings.
The shark remained in the area for several hours after the attack, but rough weather prevented police and fisheries officers getting close to it.
Late yesterday, the severed limb had not been recovered. Police were believed to have recovered Zac's half-eaten board with shark teeth embedded in it.
The hunt for the shark will resume today.
A decision will be made on whether authorities will kill the shark if it is still in the area. Fishermen plan to set lines.
http://www.news.com.au/sundayheraldsun/ ... 61,00.html
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by sharkbait » Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:37 am
Boy surfer survives shark attack
NICOLE COX, KATEK YRIACOU and JULIE TULLBERG
December 03, 2006 12:15am
A HEROIC Kiwi couple, who helped save the life of a boy surfer savaged by a Great White shark yesterday, have told how they tied an extension cord around his leg to stem the bleeding and sang to him as they rushed him to hospital
Zac Golebiowski, of Mt Gambier, was surfing 40m offshore with his 18-year-old brother, Sam, and friend Joe Redman, 15, around 10.10am (CST) at Wharton Beach, 70km east of Esperance, when the five-metre beast attacked him.
Zac's right leg was bitten off by the shark, which also mauled and punctured his other leg, leaving it severely lacerated.
New Zealand couple Amy Worling, 26, and Pete Hickmott, 32, were about to start fishing nearby when they heard screaming and noticed the distressed 15-year-old in the water.
"I heard one of them yell out `help' and thought, something is not right here," Ms Worling told the Sunday Mail.
"We've run down to the beach and one of the young boys down there said `we need a car'.
"Pete and Joe have run up to get the car and I helped Sam pull Zac out of the water.
"I sort of knew he would need some bandaging so I grabbed a hoodie and a towel that were sitting on the beach. I helped get him on to the beach and then helped tie the hoodie around his leg and put the towel over him."
The three men then helped Zac into the back of the couple's station wagon, where Ms Worling used an extension cord as a tourniquet, tying it around Zac's severed right leg, which had been ripped off below the knee.
"I was talking to Zac, trying to keep him talking to us and keep him focused on staying awake," Ms Worling said.
"He said `can you please not talk to me'. He just wanted to stay calm and zone out. We also sang to him."
The group then drove to the nearby Duke of Orleans Caravan Park and called emergency services, saying they would start the hour-long drive towards Esperance and meet them along the way. About 10km before Esperance, St John Ambulance paramedics met them and took Zac to Esperance Regional Hospital. He was then flown to Perth by the Royal Flying Doctor Service and last night remained in Royal Perth Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Mr Hickmott said he had feared they might lose Zac.
"When I pulled up in the car on the beach . . . he didn't look too good," Mr Hickmott said.
"The look on his face, the colour of his skin, he was grey. It wasn't too good.
"All I heard was screams. Then I saw the pool of blood (in the water) and the surfboard behind it. It wasn't good, hey."
The couple are on a working holiday in Australia for two months and were visiting Esperance during some time off.
"We are from New Zealand and these things just don't happen where we are from. It's not often you hear about shark attacks," Ms Worling said.
"It's just so surreal. I can't believe it happened."
Constable Katrina Luke, from Esperance police, said it was fortunate the teenager had received immediate first aid.
"He is in a serious but stable condition largely due to the first aid he received at the scene," she said.
The beach was immediately closed and a helicopter used to find the shark, which circled Zac's surfboard for more than three hours after the attack. The shark was sighted, but authorities later lost track of the beast.
Mr Hickmott said he and Ms Worling planned to visit Zac and his family this week.
Speaking from Mt Gambier, Zac's father Les Golebiowski said the family was in shock.
"You don't expect your kid to be bitten by a shark," he said.
"You'd expect him to be hurt in a car accident but not this.
"At least he's still with us, that's the main thing."
Zac's mother Ann was on her way to Perth last night.
She told Seven News she always feared for her sons' safety.
"I've got seven sons altogether and they all surf," she said. "And I always thought that one day this would happen."
Mr Golebiowski said Sam witnessed the attack and helped his injured brother to safety.
"Sam saw what happened. He was in the water with him," he said.
"Sam's not too bad physically, but emotionally he's pretty upset about what's happened to his young brother."
Yesterday, at Perth's Jandakot Airport, another brother, Jan, 25, said Zac was conscious and talking to police officers.
"He's lucky to be alive," Jan said.
Les Golebiowski, who grew up in Mt Gambier, said the family lived in the Esperance area until they returned to South Australia recently.
But Zac moved back to Esperance where some of his older siblings had remained after suffering from homesickness.
"Zac loves to surf. He's always loved the water," he said.
"But he's a bit of a stickler – he likes things to stay the same.
"He missed his friends, so we moved him back to WA where he lives with some close friends of ours.
"Their son was out surfing with him this morning when it happened."
The Golebiowskis also have two daughters.
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 01,00.html
NICOLE COX, KATEK YRIACOU and JULIE TULLBERG
December 03, 2006 12:15am
A HEROIC Kiwi couple, who helped save the life of a boy surfer savaged by a Great White shark yesterday, have told how they tied an extension cord around his leg to stem the bleeding and sang to him as they rushed him to hospital
Zac Golebiowski, of Mt Gambier, was surfing 40m offshore with his 18-year-old brother, Sam, and friend Joe Redman, 15, around 10.10am (CST) at Wharton Beach, 70km east of Esperance, when the five-metre beast attacked him.
Zac's right leg was bitten off by the shark, which also mauled and punctured his other leg, leaving it severely lacerated.
New Zealand couple Amy Worling, 26, and Pete Hickmott, 32, were about to start fishing nearby when they heard screaming and noticed the distressed 15-year-old in the water.
"I heard one of them yell out `help' and thought, something is not right here," Ms Worling told the Sunday Mail.
"We've run down to the beach and one of the young boys down there said `we need a car'.
"Pete and Joe have run up to get the car and I helped Sam pull Zac out of the water.
"I sort of knew he would need some bandaging so I grabbed a hoodie and a towel that were sitting on the beach. I helped get him on to the beach and then helped tie the hoodie around his leg and put the towel over him."
The three men then helped Zac into the back of the couple's station wagon, where Ms Worling used an extension cord as a tourniquet, tying it around Zac's severed right leg, which had been ripped off below the knee.
"I was talking to Zac, trying to keep him talking to us and keep him focused on staying awake," Ms Worling said.
"He said `can you please not talk to me'. He just wanted to stay calm and zone out. We also sang to him."
The group then drove to the nearby Duke of Orleans Caravan Park and called emergency services, saying they would start the hour-long drive towards Esperance and meet them along the way. About 10km before Esperance, St John Ambulance paramedics met them and took Zac to Esperance Regional Hospital. He was then flown to Perth by the Royal Flying Doctor Service and last night remained in Royal Perth Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Mr Hickmott said he had feared they might lose Zac.
"When I pulled up in the car on the beach . . . he didn't look too good," Mr Hickmott said.
"The look on his face, the colour of his skin, he was grey. It wasn't too good.
"All I heard was screams. Then I saw the pool of blood (in the water) and the surfboard behind it. It wasn't good, hey."
The couple are on a working holiday in Australia for two months and were visiting Esperance during some time off.
"We are from New Zealand and these things just don't happen where we are from. It's not often you hear about shark attacks," Ms Worling said.
"It's just so surreal. I can't believe it happened."
Constable Katrina Luke, from Esperance police, said it was fortunate the teenager had received immediate first aid.
"He is in a serious but stable condition largely due to the first aid he received at the scene," she said.
The beach was immediately closed and a helicopter used to find the shark, which circled Zac's surfboard for more than three hours after the attack. The shark was sighted, but authorities later lost track of the beast.
Mr Hickmott said he and Ms Worling planned to visit Zac and his family this week.
Speaking from Mt Gambier, Zac's father Les Golebiowski said the family was in shock.
"You don't expect your kid to be bitten by a shark," he said.
"You'd expect him to be hurt in a car accident but not this.
"At least he's still with us, that's the main thing."
Zac's mother Ann was on her way to Perth last night.
She told Seven News she always feared for her sons' safety.
"I've got seven sons altogether and they all surf," she said. "And I always thought that one day this would happen."
Mr Golebiowski said Sam witnessed the attack and helped his injured brother to safety.
"Sam saw what happened. He was in the water with him," he said.
"Sam's not too bad physically, but emotionally he's pretty upset about what's happened to his young brother."
Yesterday, at Perth's Jandakot Airport, another brother, Jan, 25, said Zac was conscious and talking to police officers.
"He's lucky to be alive," Jan said.
Les Golebiowski, who grew up in Mt Gambier, said the family lived in the Esperance area until they returned to South Australia recently.
But Zac moved back to Esperance where some of his older siblings had remained after suffering from homesickness.
"Zac loves to surf. He's always loved the water," he said.
"But he's a bit of a stickler – he likes things to stay the same.
"He missed his friends, so we moved him back to WA where he lives with some close friends of ours.
"Their son was out surfing with him this morning when it happened."
The Golebiowskis also have two daughters.
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 01,00.html
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Re: 12/01/2006 Zak Golebiowski (Australia)
by sharkbait » Sat Jul 26, 2008 12:42 pm
Shark survivor back in water
JORDAN MARCHANT
SHARK attack survivor Zac Golebiowski is back surfing 18 months after his right leg was torn off by a white pointer.
Zac, who turned 17 yesterday, recently returned to the water with four of his older brothers at a beach near Esperance, in WA.
"The first couple of times I went out -- every shadow I saw I was just crapping myself," he said.
"But my brothers helped relax me and overcome some of the fear."
Zac was surfing at Wharton Beach, 60km from Esperance, on an overcast afternoon in 2006 when he was attacked by a 3.5m shark.
"I'd just got a wave and was paddling back out and from what I can remember it came from the side in a split-second.
"It was just chomp and that was it.
"It took my leg clean off above the knee.
"My leg washed up on the beach a few days later, still with the wetsuit on it.
"Sometimes I forget about it, wake up and see my prosthetic leg against the wall, and think 'ah, geez'.
"You can't look back at what's happened and try and change it. I'm getting on with my life."
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/ ... 62,00.html
JORDAN MARCHANT
SHARK attack survivor Zac Golebiowski is back surfing 18 months after his right leg was torn off by a white pointer.
Zac, who turned 17 yesterday, recently returned to the water with four of his older brothers at a beach near Esperance, in WA.
"The first couple of times I went out -- every shadow I saw I was just crapping myself," he said.
"But my brothers helped relax me and overcome some of the fear."
Zac was surfing at Wharton Beach, 60km from Esperance, on an overcast afternoon in 2006 when he was attacked by a 3.5m shark.
"I'd just got a wave and was paddling back out and from what I can remember it came from the side in a split-second.
"It was just chomp and that was it.
"It took my leg clean off above the knee.
"My leg washed up on the beach a few days later, still with the wetsuit on it.
"Sometimes I forget about it, wake up and see my prosthetic leg against the wall, and think 'ah, geez'.
"You can't look back at what's happened and try and change it. I'm getting on with my life."
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/ ... 62,00.html
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Re: 12/01/2006 Zak Golebiowski (Australia)
by sharkbait » Sat Jan 23, 2010 8:49 pm
Great white shark attack can't stop Zac Golebiowski from surfing
By TREVOR PADDENBURG From: The Sunday Times January 23, 2010 7:00PM
GUTSY: Zac Golebiowski lost his right leg to a great white shark in Esperance when he was 15. Now he is back in the water and planning a body surfing trip to Bali. Picture: Lincoln Baker Source: PerthNow
A GUTSY WA surfer who lost a leg in a shark attack is planning a body-boarding trip to Bali.
Zac Golebiowski was just 15 when a great white chomped off his right leg above the knee while he was surfing at Wharton Beach, 60km from Esperance, in 2006.
though he may never stand on a surfboard again, Zac has turned to bodyboarding for his "ocean fix".
Feeding his addiction is no mean feat and the trip to Indonesia will take some doing.
Zac relies on mates to drive him to the beach, where he walks on his prosthetic leg and crutches to the water's edge. He then removes his artificial leg, manoeuvres into the shallows, puts a flipper on his left foot and paddles out into the waves.
"It's not easy, but I always knew I'd be back in the water - right from day one I knew I wanted to surf again," Zac said. "Sharks are always on my mind when I'm in the water, but they say lightning never strikes twice and I just try not to think about it."
Amazingly, Zac - who moved from Esperance to Margaret River for the surfing lifestyle - is philosophical about the attack that almost cost him his life, revealing that he wished the shark had swallowed his leg instead of spitting it out (the leg washed up on the beach three days later), so that the animal would have "at least got some enjoyment out of it".
He also wished the shark had taken his left leg rather than right, so driving a car wouldn't be so difficult.
Zac survived the attack in December 2006 only because his brother, Sam, then 18, and mate Joe Redman, 15, pulled him on to a surfboard and paddled him to shore.
He barely got a glimpse of the shark, estimated to be 3-4m long, but remembers the horrific moment as he lay on the surfboard and saw his leg was "just gone".sThe Sunday Times joined the brave 18-year-old as he hit the waves in Margaret River this week, three years after his right leg was chomped off above the knee when a 3-4m predator attacked while he was surfing at Wharton Beach, 60km from Esperance.
Although he may never stand on a surfboard again, Zac said he turned to bodyboarding for his "ocean fix".
And while he is still haunted by the attack and "jumps at shadows" during a surf, the teenager says he has put the horrifying mauling behind him and is even planning on surfing in Bali next month.
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/great-w ... 5822829728
By TREVOR PADDENBURG From: The Sunday Times January 23, 2010 7:00PM
- GUTSY: Zac Golebiowski lost his right leg to a great white shark in Esperance when he was 15. Now he is back in the water and planning a body surfing trip to Bali. Picture: Lincoln Baker Source: PerthNow
- zac-golebiowskiki.jpg (25.09 KiB) Viewed 244 times
GUTSY: Zac Golebiowski lost his right leg to a great white shark in Esperance when he was 15. Now he is back in the water and planning a body surfing trip to Bali. Picture: Lincoln Baker Source: PerthNow
A GUTSY WA surfer who lost a leg in a shark attack is planning a body-boarding trip to Bali.
Zac Golebiowski was just 15 when a great white chomped off his right leg above the knee while he was surfing at Wharton Beach, 60km from Esperance, in 2006.
though he may never stand on a surfboard again, Zac has turned to bodyboarding for his "ocean fix".
Feeding his addiction is no mean feat and the trip to Indonesia will take some doing.
Zac relies on mates to drive him to the beach, where he walks on his prosthetic leg and crutches to the water's edge. He then removes his artificial leg, manoeuvres into the shallows, puts a flipper on his left foot and paddles out into the waves.
"It's not easy, but I always knew I'd be back in the water - right from day one I knew I wanted to surf again," Zac said. "Sharks are always on my mind when I'm in the water, but they say lightning never strikes twice and I just try not to think about it."
Amazingly, Zac - who moved from Esperance to Margaret River for the surfing lifestyle - is philosophical about the attack that almost cost him his life, revealing that he wished the shark had swallowed his leg instead of spitting it out (the leg washed up on the beach three days later), so that the animal would have "at least got some enjoyment out of it".
He also wished the shark had taken his left leg rather than right, so driving a car wouldn't be so difficult.
Zac survived the attack in December 2006 only because his brother, Sam, then 18, and mate Joe Redman, 15, pulled him on to a surfboard and paddled him to shore.
He barely got a glimpse of the shark, estimated to be 3-4m long, but remembers the horrific moment as he lay on the surfboard and saw his leg was "just gone".sThe Sunday Times joined the brave 18-year-old as he hit the waves in Margaret River this week, three years after his right leg was chomped off above the knee when a 3-4m predator attacked while he was surfing at Wharton Beach, 60km from Esperance.
Although he may never stand on a surfboard again, Zac said he turned to bodyboarding for his "ocean fix".
And while he is still haunted by the attack and "jumps at shadows" during a surf, the teenager says he has put the horrifying mauling behind him and is even planning on surfing in Bali next month.
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/great-w ... 5822829728
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