Swimmer fights for life after being mauled by a monster shark off the Great Barrier Reef
- A man in his 20s was attacked while swimming off North West Island after 5pm
- He suffered leg injuries and was flown to Gladstone Hospital in critical condition
- The incident is the third shark attack in the region in just over three months
A swimmer was mauled by a monster shark off the Great Barrier Reef on Monday afternoon.
A man in his 20s was attacked while swimming off North West Island just after 5pm.
He suffered serious leg injuries in the attack and was flown to Gladstone Hospital in a critical condition.
A rescue helicopter with critical care paramedics was dispatched from Rockhampton after the attack.
A swimmer was mauled by a monster shark off the Great Barrier Reef on Monday afternoon (stock image)
A paramedic was dropped to the beach and taken to the victim on a boat, before both were winched back to the helicopter.
The man was reportedly on a boat that was moored off shore from North West Island.
The incident is the third shark attack in the area in just over three months.
A nine-year-old girl was bitten on the the back of her leg by a suspected lemon shark near the island on January 8, while a 30-year-old man was bitten on the leg by a shovelnose shark off the island on December 30.
He suffered serious leg injuries in the attack and was flown in a rescue helicopter with critical care paramedics to Gladstone Hospital in a serious condition