Family of Port Macquarie shark attack victim Toby Begg breaks silence to reveal the full extent of his ‘life-changing’ injuries
- Toby Begg’s family describes his life-changing injuries
- Surfer was attacked by a shark in Port Macquarie, NSW
- Mr. Begg tried to fight the four-meter shark
The family of a surfer who suffered ‘life-changing’ injuries in a horror shark attack has provided an update on his condition.
Toby Begg, 44, was surfing at Lighthouse Beach, south of Port Macquarie, when he was bitten by a shark on Friday morning.
NSW Police said Mr Begg was trying to fight off the shark – believed to be a Great White – about four meters long.
He is still in critical condition at John Hunter Hospital.
His brother-in-law, Chris Lenihan, said his injuries are “extremely serious and life-changing,” but doctors are still trying to understand the full extent of the damage.
Toby Begg (right), 44, was attacked by a shark on Lighthouse Beach on Friday. Image: included
“It is still very early stage and the full extent of his injuries are still not clear, but he will need many surgeries and years of rehabilitation ahead of him,” he said in a Facebook post Saturday morning.
The skilled builder and business owner is the main income earner for his young family, which includes “loving partner” Tracy and their two children.
A GoFundMe to help the family pay for his medical bills and the future costs of his traumatic injuries has already raised more than $6,000.
Mr Begg is in critical condition at John Hunter Hospital. Image: GoFundMe
Mr Begg’s brother-in-law, Chris Lenihan, said his injuries are ‘extremely serious and life-changing’, but doctors are still working to understand the full extent of the damage. Image: Facebook/included
Firefighters from Fire and Rescue NSW Port Macquarie station shared their thoughts and prayers with the former firefighter on duty.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with former Port Macquarie firefighter Toby Begg and his family after Toby was attacked by a shark while surfing at Lighthouse Beach yesterday,” they said in a post on Facebook.
Search for shark begins
Shark biologists reviewed photos of the bite marks on the surfboard and determined that the shark responsible for the attack was likely a Great White Shark between 12 and 15 feet in length.
No sharks matching this description have been seen since the attack, a spokeswoman for the NSW Department of Primary Industries said in nearby waters.
Shark biologists assessed the damage to the sign to determine the shark species. Image: 7 News
Three great white sharks were caught on SMART drumlines in the area that day, including one at Lighthouse Beach. Image: Google
However, on Thursday, a Great White Shark was detected by a shark listening station.
Three more Great White Sharks were caught that day on SMART drumlines in the area, including one at Lighthouse Beach.
Surfer battled the shark after horror injuries
A teenage girl who witnessed the attack told 9 News that the man’s foot had been “pulled off” and he was “bleeding all over”.
“They tried to talk to him, he was silent, he was frozen,” she told NBN.
“They tried to tie his leg with the surfboard leg rope and some sticks to keep it straight.”
NSW police said he was helped ashore by other surfers ‘where a tourniquet was applied by witnesses’, including an off-duty doctor.
“According to reports, the man spent 30 seconds trying to fight this shark and then swam to shore where he realized he had sustained significant injuries to his lower legs,” Superintendent Martin Burke told reporters.
A NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said he suffered injuries to his lower leg and was first rushed to Port Macquarie Base Hospital before being flown by a Westpac rescue helicopter to John Hunter Hospital on Friday evening.
John Hunter Hospital has been contacted for comment.