Paramedic and nurse speak of helping save shark attack victim from Southampton

A paramedic and a nurse have spoken of how they helped save a man from Southampton whose foot was bitten off by a shark.

28-year-old Alistair Raddon was snorkelling with a friend near Hook Passage, a body of water between Whitsunday Island and Hook Island in Australia.

Swedish Paramedic Billy Ludvigsson and emergency room nurse Emma Andersson were also on the cruise and rushed to his aid.

Mr Ludviggson added their actions probably saved Mr Raddon's life, "because he was bleeding so badly."

He said: "It was a long boat ride back to shore and if he continued to bleed that much all the way back to shore I'm not sure he would have made it."

There have been a number of shark attacks in the Whitsunday islands in recent years, including a fatal incident at Cid Harbour involving a 33-year-old man last November.

Australia has averaged fewer than two deadly shark attacks per year in recent decades.

According to Australian Shark Attack File and excluding Tuesday's incident,there have been 10 injuries from unprovoked shark attacks this year.