Exmouth shark attack: 11-year-old Archie Blake was on holiday with family at time of incident

The 11-year-old boy mauled by a shark off the Western Australian coast has identified as Archie Blake. 

Archie had left Hobart, in Tasmania, with his parents and three siblings to go on the trip of a lifetime.

The 11-year-old was snorkelling near Exmouth, 1,250km north of Perth, in Western Australia, when he was bitten by a shark at 3pm on Saturday. 

Archie and his mother Hazel, who is a teacher, were about 50 metres away from the shore when the attack unfolded.

He was left with ‘serious lacerations’ to his left leg and rushed to Perth Children’s Hospital in a serious but stable condition. 

Marc De Sousa, who witnessed the attack, revealed how he and others helped get Archie to safety before giving him emergency first-aid. 

Emergency service vehicles are pictured the scene where an 11-year-old boy was attacked by a shark

‘I saw a fair bit of splashing, wasn’t sure what had happened at the time, but as the mum and the two kids started swimming in, the mum waved out for help,’ he said. 

‘We ran over and the elder of the boys, I think, got bitten on the leg by a decent shark, I’d say,’ he told the ABC.

‘We just made sure he was conscious, made sure he was as good as he could be.’

Mr De Sousa said his father got to the scene soon after and then went to get Archie’s dad Kieren, who is a paramedic.

‘We dragged the boy further up the beach, I think it was a rash shirt we used just to apply pressure to one of the bite marks,’ he said.

Mr De Sousa then ran to the nearby Kurrajong Campground to call for an ambulance, which took about 40 minutes to arrive.

Paramedics from St John WA treated the boy on the beach before taking him to the closest hospital at Exmouth in a serious but stable condition. 

The Royal Flying Doctors Service airlifted him to Perth Children’s Hospital for further treatment later that night.

Swimmers in the area have been urged to take extra caution and beaches were closed from Pilgramunna north to Bloodwood Creek in Cape Range National Park.

The entire Blake family were all nearby when the attack happened.

Hobart councillor Ryan Posselt set up a GoFundMe on Sunday to raise money for the family.

The funds will go towards any accommodation, travel logistics, or any rehab that Archie may need for his recovery. 

Archie (pictured) and his mother Hazel, who is a teacher, were about 50 metres off the shore when the attack, which left Archie with ‘serious lacerations’ to his left leg, happened

Archie is expected to have surgery on Sunday and is likely to need several more over the coming days. 

Mr Posselt said he started the fundraiser ‘to take financial worry out of the minds of a family who serve the community in their capacity as a school teacher and paramedic everyday. 

‘Removing financial worry from their minds will allow them to focus entirely on caring for their children and simply organising the logistics,’ he said.

‘Accomodating the family of 6 near Perth hospital won’t be cheap and then getting Archie, the family and all their gear (including car and trailer) home to Tasmania is going to be a costly exercise.’

WA’s Tourism Minister Roger Cook said he didn’t think the attack would affect tourism to the area.

‘People are attracted to Western Australia because of its wild environment and the interaction with that environment,’ he said.

‘If this young kid was camping with his family at … a fairly remote campground in Cape Range National Park, they were obviously there because they liked that remoteness and the interaction with the environment that that brings. 

‘But of course, that comes with a certain element of risk.’