Four Seasons condom heir tells how he was in the right place at the right time when his neighbour was mauled by a shark in Sydney Harbour – and his quick-thinking act that proved crucial
- Michael Porter was the unsuspecting first responder to shark attacks
- Lauren O’Neill almost lost her leg, but miraculously survived
The first responder to a shark attack on Sydney Harbor is the heir to one of Australia’s largest condom companies.
Michael Porter – whose family owns the popular condom and lubricant company Four Seasons – played a key role in the rescue of swimmer and kayaker Lauren O’Neill in Elizabeth Bay on Monday evening.
Ms O’Neill was taking an evening swim at a private wharf – off the net – in Sydney’s east when a bull shark mauled her shortly after 7.40pm.
Mrs O’Neill lost gallons of blood in the water as she paddled desperately to the safety of a jetty ladder and called for help.
“I heard a soft scream from outside, I saw Lauren basically leaning on the ladder with her leg behind her,” Michael told Daily Mail Australia.
Michael Porter, the co-founder of Skin Control and heir to Four Seasons condoms, was among the first responders
‘There was a large dark red pool of blood. Automatically I knew it was an emergency, I grabbed my phone and ran outside calling Triple Zero.”
Michael was soon joined by several other neighbors, including ‘hero vet’ Fiona Crago, who applied tourniquets to stop the bleeding.
The quick-thinking Mrs. Crago, a former lawyer and TV producer who retrained as a veterinarian about a decade ago, grabbed two compression bandages that her wife had only just purchased that day for another purpose.
‘I’m definitely not heroic. I was just doing my job and what I was trained to do,” Dr. Crago later to Channel 10.
“I think it’s a good reminder for people to be careful, especially at dawn and dusk,” she added.
Mr Porter said Ms Crago was responsible for saving Lauren’s life.
‘Fiona is an absolute hero, I believe she saved Lauren’s life.’
He added that despite being in a “complete state of shock” from the trauma of the attack, Ms O’Neill was “very lucid”.
“People held her hand and helped her, and she was extremely brave the whole time,” he said.
“Lauren’s family should be so proud of how calmly she acted in that moment.”
“She was so polite, sweet and brave, she said, ‘Thank you for calling the ambulance.’ he added.
Mrs O’Neill is recovering in intensive care after a marathon operation to save her right leg.
Paramedics rushed to the scene and managed to save Mrs O’Neill’s life
Lauren O’Neill has been identified as the victim of a shark attack
The 29-year-old suffered significant injuries to her leg and blood loss
Michael Porter (pictured right) is a fixture on Sydney’s social scene
Ms O’Neill studied science at the University of Sydney and works for the NSW Government in the Department of Climate Change.
Since 2012, when she was 15, she has volunteered for various charities and organizations.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms O’Neill has dedicated her time to the SES, the Fred Hollows Foundation, Pink Ribbon Day, Daffodil Day and Spinal Cord Injury Australia.
She has served meals to the homeless, helped create a map of wheelchair-accessible public restrooms, and walked foster dogs.
Meanwhile, Mr Porter, 33, is a fixture in Sydney’s social circle.
Last July, he and his husband Billy Mitchell tied the knot in a star-studded Italian wedding on Lake Como that was nearly derailed by an electrical storm.
Porter’s background in marketing and PR led him to create his own brand outside of the family business.
He co-founded Skin Control in July 2019 while helping grow the Four Seasons condom brand.