02/12/2009 Glen Orgias ( Australia )

[helmi]

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Shark attacks surfer off Bondi Beach.

February 13, 2009 12:00am.



Horror from the deep ... the surfer is taken to hospital.

A SURFER's hand was partially severed in what is believed to be the first
shark attack at Bondi Beach in 80 years.

The 33-year-old man was surfing on the southern end of the beach when he was
grabbed on the left arm by a shark in murky waters about 7.30pm.

As he struggled with the predator about 50m from the shore, he screamed for
help, shouting "shark" to warn others in the water.

Lifeguards believe the man was attacked by what they suspect was a "bronze
whaler about two metres long".

Last night he underwent surgery in St Vincent's Hospital, and it was not
known if his hand could be saved.

Witness Sebastien Le Bail told The Daily Telegraph he and his friend Michael
heard the scream as they were surfing about 20m away.

The injured man was helped back to the shore by bodyboarders and off-duty
doctors on the beach and other surfers helped stopped the bleeding until
paramedics arrived.

"We heard a guy scream out 'shark, shark'. We just got out of the water and
we ran to the guy and his hand was hanging off and he had a big cut on his
arm," Mr Le Bail, a French tourist, said.

Mr Le Bail and his friend helped tie the leash of a surf board around his
arm and packed ice on the wound.

Mr Le Bail said the man - who lives in Dover Heights and is believed to be
named Glen - was conscious and aware of his severe injuries but was losing a
lot of blood.

"It was chaos. We carried him to the street and we got ice and towels and we
just kept talking to him and kept telling him he was going to be fine," Mr
Le Bail, 21, said.

"When I first saw his hand I had to turn my head and look away. It was very
bad," he said.

Paramedics treated him at the scene before rushing him to St Vincent's
Hospital in a serious condition.

A NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said the man's arm was partially severed in the
"apparent shark attack".

A hospital spokeswoman said the man arrived at 8.15pm and was undergoing
emergency surgery last night.

A NSW Police spokesman said the victim and the other surfers in the water
did not see the shark so could not confirm the breed.

Water Police helped clear people from the water after the attack

This is believed to be the first shark attack at Bondi Beach since February
8, 1929.

A shark net was installed at Bondi Beach in 1937 and is currently in place.

The net is laid out about 150m from the beach and is submerged in 8m of water.

According to the Waverley Council website, there has been no shark fatality
at Bondi Beach since the nets were installed.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/s ... 09,00.html

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[sharkbait]

Bondi shark attack victim Glenn Orgias returns to the surf

The last time Glenn Orgias surfed at Bondi Beach he was attacked by a great white shark in a savage mauling which left him without a left hand.

Shark attack victim Glenn Orgias returns to the water

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Despite initial trepidation, he was ecstatic to be in action

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The day before Mr Orgias was attacked, a Navy diver was killed

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Last week the energy trader returned to the iconic waters off Sydney on Australia’s east coast and, despite initial trepidation, was ecstatic to be back in the water.

“I have to admit to a few nerves and fear before I went in,” Mr Orgias told The Times of his first surf in four months.

“But as we got down to the beach and went through the process of getting into a wetsuit and talking about the waves I started to get excited about it and felt happy to be back there. As soon as I was surfing in the water I felt fine, it was fantastic.”

The 34-year-old was mauled by a 2.7m (8ft) great white as he went for an early evening surf in February. It was the first shark attack at Bondi Beach in nearly 80 years and was one of a spate of shark attacks in Australia last summer.

The day before Mr Orgias was attacked, Navy diver Paul de Gelder was mauled by a bull shark while participating in an anti-terrorism exercise in Sydney harbour. He lost his right hand and right leg.

Mr Orgias’ attack was so savage doctors had to amputate his left hand, after it was almost severed by the shark.

Mr Orgias, who has surfed regularly for years and returned to the water again on Monday morning, said his amputation meant he had to re-learn how to surf.

“It was a totally different way of surfing,” he said. “I felt like a was a ten- year-old kid learning all over again. It’s definitely a new technique, a new way of learning how to do things, but its fun, I enjoy it.”

Doctors said getting back in the water would be good for Mr Orgias’ rehabilitation.

“They were always really supportive, encouraging me to do some exercises and things that use my arm,” he said. “So it was good for my rehab both physically and mentally because I just love being in the water.”

Mr Orgias spent six weeks in intensive care at St Vincent’s Hospital and another three recuperating at home from the attack, which caused headlines around the world.He said the attention was overwhelming.

“All the attention has been on the shark attack and what happened with the shark,” he said. “But what we’re trying to focus on now is how lucky I am to be alive and to have the opportunity to go surfing again. And that’s because of all the people who donated blood.”

During his hospital treatment doctors performed 18 hours of microsurgery and had to use 150 donations (approximately 45 litres, or 95 pints) of blood.

“I used a lot of blood and some of it saved my life because I lost a lot of blood in the water and some in the treatment of my hand,” he said.

As a result, Mr Orgias is grateful to blood donors and has now adopted blood donation as a cause and become an ambassador for the Australian Red Cross.

Next month he plans to participate in the City to Surf fun run – an annual charity event in which thousands of participants race 14km (8.5 miles) from the Sydney CBD to Bondi Beach.

Mr Orgias plans to run with a group to raise awareness of blood donations and, rather than money, aims to get 5,000 pledges from people to donate blood through his website: http://www.runningonblood.com.

As for sharks, he said he harbours no grudges.

"I’ve got nothing against sharks, they are fine,” Mr Orgias said.

“It was a freak accident. Humans aren’t its normal food source, and the one that bit me knew that it got it wrong straight away and let go.

“I don’t harbour any animosity against them at all.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/w ... 567569.ece

[sharkbait]

Surfer loses hand after shark attack

Glenn Orgias was attacked by a 2.5m great white.

glen_orgias.jpeg (36.16 KiB) Viewed 19267 times

Shark attack victim Glenn Orgias | AAP

It was looking promising last week, but things just took a turn. They really did do all they could

Hospital spokesman David Faktor

A surfer attacked by a great white shark off Bondi Beach has lost a hand after failed attempts to reattach it.

While enjoying an evening surf of February 12, 33-year-old Glenn Orgias was attacked by a 2.5m great white.

The shark locked its jaws onto his left arm during the attack, partially severing his hand.

Surgeons at St Vincent's Hospital reattached Mr Orgias's hand following 10 hours of surgery and last week the prognosis was looking good, with doctors saying he gained feeling in his fingers after a second operation.

But the hospital has confirmed his hand had to be amputated on Sunday night.

"It was looking promising last week, but things just took a turn," hospital spokesman David Faktor said.

"They (the surgeons) really did do all they could,"

Navy clearance diver Paul de Gelder, who was mauled by a bull shark in Sydney Harbour the day before Mr Orgias was attacked, lost a hand and a leg and was lucky to survive.

Meanwhile teenage surfer Andrew Lindop, attacked by a shark while surfing with his father off Avalon Beach, remains in a stable condition at Royal North Shore Hospital.

The 15-year-old was attacked by what is believed to be a great white on Sunday March 1.


http://www.livenews.com.au/Article/Inde ... annel=home

[sharkbait]

Bondi Shark Attack: evidence exclusive
Monday, 16 February 2009


Surf testimony exclusive Prevention of Sébastien Le Bail, one of the two French surfers who participated in the rescue of Glenn victim of a shark attack at Bondi Beach.

Surf Prevention: Hi Seb! Can you make a small summary of the events of that night of the shark attack at Bondi?

To restore the conditions, it was 19h-19h30, the conditions were not good: strong on-shore wind, 1.50m, very dark time, water not clear.

We talk quietly when we heard a shriek, then guys yelling "shark shark", it was not sure what they had said, but when we saw the paddle towards the beach, everything was understood immediately.

Fortunately for us, a wave of series is increased at this time. We watched on our left and saw a guy with something red on the top of his board, we were wondering what it was. I first thought of algae, but it seemed strange.

It leaves the water running and it goes to a guy lying on the water with him to a surfer. It was immediately saw the arm of Glenn, the left hand was severed net, she was just a small piece of skin, and his forearm was ripped off him, leaving the muscle ... we could really see inside of one arm ...

For my part, I turned the head 1 second to resume my spirits. Mik (Mikaël Thomas, friend of Seb.) Took his bodyboard leash and he made a tourniquet. As for me, I have wedged the body under the head and above. Other surfers have arrived, there is one that has elevated his legs. Someone then brought a surfboard, he was put on gently, then we have worn.


Australia: they're saving a surfer attacked by shark
sent by RedactionMaville
We had to cross the beach, about 150 meters I think, during this time, we posed questions Glenn "first name, age ..." A woman has also come to help us, it supported his hand so that it no tears no more. We had to climb some stairs and then a little "lift" because ambulances could not enter it.

Mik had the excellent idea of asking guys to get ice. We introduced Glenn. The ice does not come, I went to look also at my back, there was some ice and towels, he was placed on the AC arm and then waited for rescue. During this time he ever spoke and his legs were still elevated (feet up to the basin of a surfer standing). The ambulance arrived 30 minutes after the accident and I think took over, then towards the Saint Vincent Hospital for 10 hours of surgery.

Surf Prevention: How have you had the presence of mind and the cold blood to make the gesture that saves lives?

We did not have time to think and should not, we immediately thought of the tourniquet so he lost the least amount of blood possible. Mik has always held the tourniquet until paramedics take over. In addition, we also have our first aid certificate, which has certainly helped.

Surf Prevention: What are you doing in Australia at the moment?

We got our BTS in June and have decided to leave for a year in Australia (working holiday visa) to surf.
Mik is currently runner (server) in a restaurant on the harbor in Sydney. As for me, I work in a supermarket in central Sydney.

Surf Prevention: Since when do you surf?

Mik's body is now in 6 / 7 years if I am not mistaken. For me it's 5 / 6 years on the bodyboard, and I'm surfing in the summer of 2007 during an internship in California. J'alterne short / body / longboard depending on wave conditions.



Surf Prevention: What is the current mood in Bondi?

There are many more surfers in the water. Before the accident, in the morning, there was always at least 10 people whatever the circumstances, now I have seen a person in the water the day after the accident and no one this morning. In addition, a surfer would have seen a shark at Bondi yesterday ...

Surf Prevention: What is your current emotional state?

Personally, feeling better but I think about it every day. Working on a busy street in Sydney, I often ambulances so I images that come back. We expect to see Glenn, it will do us good to see him again I think.

We will wait to surf again for a few days, then we will return to water, it may also be a step ...

Surf Prevention: Congratulations guys and thank you for being here despite the many requests you have received from the Australian media. Soon on the waves French are still less "sharky" in Australia ...

http://blog.surf-prevention.com/surf/ac ... de-requin/

[helmi]

Feb 23, 2009

'Jaws' shark behind attack

SYDNEY - THE feared great white shark was responsible for an attack at Australia's Bondi Beach earlier this month, officials said on Monday after experts examined a surfer's partially severed hand.

A great white, the shark made notorious by Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws', mauled 33-year-old surfer Glenn Orgias on February 12, a local government official confirmed.

It was the second shark attack in Sydney's waters in two days, sparking a wave of fear in Australia's largest city over the marine predators.

New South Wales Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald said experts examined Mr Orgias' bite marks and determined the shark was a 2.5 metre great white.

The surfer almost lost his hand in the attack but it has since been surgically reattached and he is expected to make a full recovery.

Mr Macdonald said encountering a great white was swimmers' ultimate fear. 'If you're swimming in the ocean, it'd be the last shark you would want to encounter,' he said.

The attack is believed to be the first by a great white in Sydney waters and Mr Macdonald said the sharks appeared to be changing from a diet of fish to eating marine animals such as seals and dolphins.

'Note that in almost all cases, great whites tend to release the person after biting - probably as they don't recognise the taste,' he said.

He said 21 great white sharks had been caught in nets off south Sydney since 1990 but they were relatively rare in the city's waters. 'Two great white sharks of about two metres have previously been caught off Bondi, one in December 2005 and one in November 2008,' he said.

The day before Mr Orgias' ordeal, navy diver Paul de Gelder, 31, was attacked by a suspected bull shark in Sydney Harbour. He has since had an arm and a leg amputated.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2B ... 41995.html

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[helmi]

Glen Orgias A man was bitten by a shark while surfing at Bondi beach.
- Injuries to hand.

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Shark attack at Bondi

* Peter Hawkins and Dylan Welch
* February 12, 2009 - 8:47PM

A SURFER was injured on the hand and carried to shore by a friend on a surfboard tonight after the second shark attack in Sydney in two days.

The man had been surfing at Bondi Beach after sunset when the attack happened.

A navy clearance diver, Paul de Gelder, was attacked on Wednesday during a training exercise in Sydney Harbour.

Able Seaman de Gelder, 31, was on the surface of the water, on his back kicking, when the shark attacked.

The police diver with him was doing the same counter-terrorism exercise at Woolloomooloo Bay when he heard screams.

Detective Inspector Glenn Finnis of NSW Police Marine Area Command said

such an attack was a concern but it would not deter police divers from using the harbour.

Police divers carried sonar devices, but the shark was not detected, he said.

Able Seaman de Gelder has lost his right hand above the wrist and may lose his right leg but was in high spirits, his family said.

His brother, Travis, 29, said Able Seaman de Gelder was coping "very well mentally" and was "a very strong person".

"The family are very relieved that Paul is alive. He had some pretty serious injuries ... He's handling it quite well at the moment. The medical staff have been fantastic.

"He loves diving; it's a big part of his life. This will come as quite a shock to him."

A shark biologist with the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Vic Peddemors, said it was too early to know the type or the size of the shark that bit Able Seaman de Gelder, because the diver had not yet spoken to him.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/shark-at ... -85xz.html

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