PUBLISHED ONOctober 24, 2016 11:28 AM
SYDNEY - An Australian surfer was bitten in the leg by a shark on Monday, the third attack off the beaches of New South Wales in a month, Australian media reported.
Jade Fitzpatrick, 36, was surfing at Cape Byron, 780 km (484 miles) north of Sydney, when he was knocked off his board by a shark that left three puncture wounds in his left leg.
He managed to fend off the shark and swim to shore with his damaged board. "Halfway in I started to panic a bit because I touched my leg and I felt it was all slick from the blood," he told Australia's Seven Network.
It was the third reported shark attack in the area in a month. The state government is expected to propose a six-month trial deployment of shark nets to deter attacks on the northern New South Wales coast.
Fitzpatrick said he opposed the plan because the nets could trap other marine animals. "I don't want animals dying just to make us feel safe," he said.