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MELBOURNE - Moments after a young man was mauled by a shark near one of Australia's most famous surf beaches late yesterday, police had to convince two men not to jump back into the ocean.
Senior Constable Lisa Kearney, of Torquay Police, was at Winki Pop beach, near Bells Beach, after 25-year-old Peter Galvin, of Yarraville, was mauled by a shark just before 8pm (AEDT) yesterday.
She said Mr Galvin, who used to live in Torquay, was surfing about 50 metres apart from friend Andrew Majerni, of Williamstown, 100 metres from shore.
"The victim was sitting on his board with his legs dangling over the side and the shark has come up from underneath and grabbed his left leg in the calf and thigh area," she told AAP.
"His mate saw he was in trouble and went to help, helped him into shore."
Mr Majerni and two British backpackers kept pressure on the wound until Rural Ambulance Victoria paramedics arrived.
Snr Const Kearney said Mr Galvin lost a lot of blood, but was conscious throughout the ordeal, and there was still a shark tooth in his wetsuit.
She said while paramedics were still treating Mr Galvin, police had to convince two men who appeared to be aged in their late 20s not to return to the surf.
"There were a couple (of surfers) who wanted to go out after the attack - it is just unbelievable," she said.
"It is just a risk that they are prepared to take," she said.
Snr Const Kearney said while there had been no serious shark attacks in the area recently, police often had reports of minor incidents.
"There is lots of sharks constantly, it is well known for it," she said.
"We have had quite a few nibbles on boards.
"He (Mr Galvin) is lucky to be alive and that he wasn't pulled off the board."
Ambulance service flight paramedic Jason Hunter last night said it was not clear how much blood Mr Galvin had lost.
"He was quite cold and in a degree of shock once we had arrived," Mr Hunter told the Nine Network.
Mr Galvin was airlifted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, where he remains in a serious but stable condition.
The shark that attacked Mr Galvin will not be hunted down, Premier Steve Bracks says.
"If there was any purpose or use in hunting down a shark because it could prevent some other attack, well, then you would probably consider it, but it won't happen," Mr Bracks said. "The reality is that shark could be anywhere. There could be new sharks in the area.
"The reality is that this is obviously a random attack and a regrettable one," he said.
His comments came after Steve Robertson, from Surfing Australia, the national governing body for the sport, said he thought the shark that attacked Mr Galvin should be killed to stop it attacking again.
When asked whether it should be killed he said: "Unfortunately yes. It is not a nice thing, but I don't think any surfer wants it hanging around."
Mr Bracks said many years ago he used to surf at Bells Beach.
- AAP
