The survivor of a terrifying shark attack in Beachport, South Australia, on Monday, is on the path to recovery following surgery.
Pam Cook, who was out for a morning swim near the local jetty, was bitten by the shark and sustained injuries to her ankle and thigh.
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She was attacked while swimming with the local group Beachport Sea Urchins.
Surprisingly, this picturesque coastal town has had little history of shark attacks in the past 83 years.
Greg Cook, her husband, said that Pam initially mistook the shark bite for another swimmer coming up behind her.
“She got bitten on the ankle first, and she thought it was one of the swimmers coming up behind her, and she looked around and couldn’t see and she thought ‘holy shit’,” Mr Cook told ABC.
A fellow swimmer witnessed the incident and described the shark as resembling a white pointer, although not a large one.
Local residents quickly came to Pam’s aid, helping her swim to the jetty ladder and providing assistance until medical personnel arrived.
“One of the girls took her top off and made a tourniquet, then the jetty workers who were out there came and put jackets, and they came and got towels and blankets,” he said.
“When the ambulance turned up, they said they couldn’t have done much better than what they did,” he added.
She was subsequently transported to Mount Gambier Hospital, where she is expected to remain for four or five days before continuing rehabilitation at home.
Despite the traumatic experience, Mr Cook expressed confidence in his wife’s resilience and her eventual return to the water.
“She’ll want to get back out there, it’ll take time, but she’ll get back in there.”
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