Shark attack survivor Kai McKenzie opens up on harrowing ordeal and struggles faced since losing a leg and almost his life
A surfer who lost his leg to a 10-foot shark remembers how an off-duty police officer saved his life as he concentrated on getting back into the water.
Kai McKenzie, 23, spent two months in Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital after he was attacked on a remote beach near Port Macquarie on the New South Wales north coast in July.
He recalls repeatedly trying to kick the shark away, but eventually he reached shore on a wave, where a police officer, who was walking his dog along the beach, rushed to his aid.
The off-duty officer fashioned a makeshift tourniquet from his dog’s leash, an action that likely saved Mr. McKenzie from dying from blood loss.
“He came to the hospital and saw me and it was huge. I 100 percent wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him,” Mr McKenzie told Surfing magazine. Stiches last week.
‘Luckily he had a dog leash with him.’
In addition to the physical scars and the amputation of his leg, Mr. McKenzie also faces several mental challenges, including being stared at by strangers.
“It’s been raw. Some people can’t read a room and can be quite insensitive,” he said.
‘I hope it will be different when I get a prosthesis.
‘For now I’m just walking around on crutches, so it’s sticking out like dog balls. If Eve (his girlfriend) and my parents hadn’t been by my side the whole f***ing time, my mind would be in a completely different place than it is now.’
Kai McKenzie (recently pictured with girlfriend Eve) spent two months in hospital recovering from a shark attack in July
Despite nearly losing his life in the horrific ordeal, the surfer is determined to get back to the water as soon as possible
Despite the traumatic ambush still fresh in Mr. McKenzie’s mind, the surfer is determined to get back in the water as soon as possible.
He has consulted with nurses and doctors in the hope of being able to get a prosthesis.
Part of Mr. McKenzie’s mental recovery was listening to the stories of fellow surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her left arm in a shark attack in 2003.
“She was on vacation and just said to me, ‘You don’t know what you can do. There’s never been anyone who’s lost a leg and can surf like you.’ She just gave me a snapshot of reality and changed my whole perspective to stay positive,” Mr. McKenzie said.
In a recent social media post, Mr McKenzie said he was determined to get back to surfing.
“I’m looking forward to the day I get back here, I’m going to give it everything I have to get there, I know it’s going to be a long journey but it’s going to happen and all your support has motivated me. So let’s go for it,” he wrote.
Mr McKenzie (pictured) recalled the attack and remembered repeatedly trying to kick the shark away before finally catching a wave to shore, where a police officer came to his aid.
In August, he also paid a moving tribute to his girlfriend.
“This damn girl is honestly the main reason I am so motivated, she is the best nurse you can get!” wrote Mr McKenzie.
‘Eve has done so much for me and I love her dearly.
“This is my first day out of the hospital in a month and a half. This is f**king good!”
Mr McKenzie also shared his thoughts on a leaked video of his attack that went viral online in the days after he lost his limb.
“There’s no respect. That’s all I see of it. If that was your child, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to see it either,” he said.