Shark savages teen’s leg

A SHARK bit a teenage surfer’s leg to the bone off a Sydney beach early yesterday — the Australian city’s third attack in as many weeks, police said.

The 15-year-old boy was surfing with his father at Avalon, one of Sydney’s northern beaches, when the shark struck, the NSW police force said.

“The father heard a scream and turned to see his son thrashing about in the water,” police said.

Family friends said the man, an experienced surf lifesaver, dragged his son to shore and administered first aid, using his surfboard leg rope as a tourniquet.

Ambulance officers said the teenager was bleeding heavily from severe lacerations to his leg. They stabilised him, treated him for pain and airlifted him to the Royal North Shore Hospital, where he was in a stable condition.

It was Sydney’s third shark attack in 19 days.