Re: 1992/04/24 Mike Fraser - New Zealand - Campbell Island
Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 8:12 pm
April 24, 1992
Campbell Island
Mike Fraser
Mike Fraser was snorkelling off the remote Campbell Island when he felt a "big hit" - and the next thing he saw was his arm in the mouth of a 4m great white shark.
Mr Fraser, then 32, was leading a group of Metservice staff carrying out weather observations on the Southern Ocean island, 600km off the coast of Invercargill.
"I was about to come in and I just felt this great big hit on the right-hand side and got shoved underwater.
"The first thing that raced through my mind was that I was being done over by a sealion, but then I got back to the surface and flicked my head back over to have a look and saw my right arm down a shark's mouth, which took me by surprise.
"That's when I got pulled down a second time and when it bit right through. I flipped back up to the surface and in those few seconds, it ripped up my left arm as well."
Mr Fraser rolled on to his back and kicked as hard as he could to get back to land, where his workmates were watching in horror.
Jacinda Amey, then 23, met him 30m out from the shore and pulled him to safety from the 4m great white. She was later awarded the New Zealand Cross, the highest bravery award, for her actions.
But his ordeal was far from over - in intense pain, suffering blood loss and shock, the group had to wait for a helicopter to be called from Taupo to rescue him.
Pilot John Funnell was chosen for the mission because he had flown to Campbell Island the year before in an exercise to cope with just such an emergency.
Flight paths were cleared for Mr Funnell and his co-pilot Grant Biel as they began their mission.
Fresh blood supplies were given to the rescuers when they reached Invercargill, and they flew out to the island in darkness.
All the while, Mr Fraser's colleagues tended to his wounds and talked him through the night.
To manage the pain, he was given shots of pethidine.
After each injection, Mr Fraser remembers throwing up - he later was told it was because he'd been given twice as much as he should have.
When day broke, Mr Funnell was able to perch the helicopter precariously on a rock outcrop at the island and Mr Fraser was bundled onboard.
He lost his right arm just below his elbow and about half the muscle on his left forearm "got ripped out, the nerves got cut and there's about three or four tendons missing."
Mr Fraser, now 53, is able to use thumb, fore and middle fingers, but his ring and little fingers have limited functionality.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Campbell Island
Mike Fraser
Mike Fraser was snorkelling off the remote Campbell Island when he felt a "big hit" - and the next thing he saw was his arm in the mouth of a 4m great white shark.
Mr Fraser, then 32, was leading a group of Metservice staff carrying out weather observations on the Southern Ocean island, 600km off the coast of Invercargill.
"I was about to come in and I just felt this great big hit on the right-hand side and got shoved underwater.
"The first thing that raced through my mind was that I was being done over by a sealion, but then I got back to the surface and flicked my head back over to have a look and saw my right arm down a shark's mouth, which took me by surprise.
"That's when I got pulled down a second time and when it bit right through. I flipped back up to the surface and in those few seconds, it ripped up my left arm as well."
Mr Fraser rolled on to his back and kicked as hard as he could to get back to land, where his workmates were watching in horror.
Jacinda Amey, then 23, met him 30m out from the shore and pulled him to safety from the 4m great white. She was later awarded the New Zealand Cross, the highest bravery award, for her actions.
But his ordeal was far from over - in intense pain, suffering blood loss and shock, the group had to wait for a helicopter to be called from Taupo to rescue him.
Pilot John Funnell was chosen for the mission because he had flown to Campbell Island the year before in an exercise to cope with just such an emergency.
Flight paths were cleared for Mr Funnell and his co-pilot Grant Biel as they began their mission.
Fresh blood supplies were given to the rescuers when they reached Invercargill, and they flew out to the island in darkness.
All the while, Mr Fraser's colleagues tended to his wounds and talked him through the night.
To manage the pain, he was given shots of pethidine.
After each injection, Mr Fraser remembers throwing up - he later was told it was because he'd been given twice as much as he should have.
When day broke, Mr Funnell was able to perch the helicopter precariously on a rock outcrop at the island and Mr Fraser was bundled onboard.
He lost his right arm just below his elbow and about half the muscle on his left forearm "got ripped out, the nerves got cut and there's about three or four tendons missing."
Mr Fraser, now 53, is able to use thumb, fore and middle fingers, but his ring and little fingers have limited functionality.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz