Man attacked by shark at Evans Head

NSW Police said the attack happened at 6.20am and they were called to Main Beach after reports of the incident.

A surfer has been taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition after being attacked by a shark at Evans Head, south of Ballina.

In a frantic rescue effort, paramedics started working on the man on the beach before calling on a police officer to drive them to hospital.

Two surfers initially helped the victim, using towels and tourniquets until emergency services arrived at the beach.

The man, believed to be in his 40s, was treated on the beach, and is being transported to Lismore Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Sharks are common off Australia’s beaches, but fatal attacks are rare.

“I’ve been up here for a few years now and you might get an odd one here or there, but the last couple of days there does seem to be a bit of an increase”, he said.

This morning’s attack follows a spate of attacks in north coast waters in recent times.

Evans Head is 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the tourist town of Ballina where 32-year-old surfer Matt Lee was critically injured by a shark on July 2 and Japanese tourist Tadashi Nakahara, 41, was mauled to death while surfing in February.

On Sunday beaches around nearby Ballina were closed after two sharks were spotted off the coast, a Surf Life Saving NSW spokeswoman said.