Surfer seriously injured by shark off Western Australia, rescued by fellow rider

While surfing solo near Glenfield Beach, 56-year-old Mel Ismail was bitten on the leg by a shark, sustaining serious injuries. Fellow surfer Shannon Dunn entered the water despite the danger, rescued Ismail and helped get him to shore, where bystanders used Dunn’s surfboard rope as an improvised tourniquet. Ismail was transported to the Intensive Care Hospital at Geraldton Health Campus, where Dr Mary Pinder confirmed he is in stable condition but faces a long recovery under a multidisciplinary team.

Mayor Jerry Clune thanked the rescuers and highlighted the community spirit, while Premier Roger Cook described the incident as horrifying. The attack follows other fatal shark incidents in Western Australia this year.