Man Bitten Twice by a Shark Drives Himself to the Hospital with Serious Leg Injury

NEED TO KNOW

• On Tuesday, Oct. 7, a man in his 50s was attacked by a shark at D’Estrees Bay, Kangaroo Island, in Australia

• According to local reports, he was bitten on the leg when a seal used him “as a decoy” to escape a bronze whaler shark

• The incident comes less than five years after a 29-year-old surfer was rushed to the hospital after being bitten by a shark at D’Estrees Bay

A man is undergoing surgery after repeatedly being bitten by a shark at one of Australia’s popular surfing spots, according to local reports.

Shortly after 1 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Oct. 7, a man in his 50s drove himself to the hospital after being bitten on the leg by a shark at D’Estrees Bay, Kangaroo Island, the South Australia Police confirmed to PEOPLE.

The man — who has not been publicly identified — sustained two shark bites that are believed to be from a large bronze whaler shark, said Shark Watch South Australia, an online community dedicated to sharing shark incidents, citing a public report.

“According to the report, a Bronze Whaler was chasing a seal around the bay when the seal used the surfer as a decoy and the victim was bitten twice by the shark,” South Watch SA said in a Facebook post.

Locals were reportedly notified about the shark attack and urged to take caution, according to the online page.

South Australia Police confirmed to PEOPLE that the man’s injuries “are not life-threatening.”

However, he is undergoing emergency surgery in Kingscote, according to local news outlets ABC News and News.com.

Following reports that the man is believed to have been bitten by a large bronze whaler shark, local outlet 7 News reported that the animals are “generally not aggressive towards humans.”

It isn’t uncommon to find the species, also known as copper sharks, in southern Australian waters and they can grow up to 3.3m in length, per the outlet.

Tuesday’s incident comes less than five years after a 29-year-old surfer was attacked at D’Estrees Bay, which is approximately 40 minutes away from the town of Kingscote.

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The victim recalled the scary incident in a letter written while still in his hospital bed, saying that he was sitting on his surfboard “when I felt a hit on my left side – it was like being hit by a truck.”

“It bit me around my back, buttock and elbow, and took a chunk out of my board,” the shark attack survivor wrote, per The Advertiser. “I got a glimpse of the shark as it let go and disappeared.”

Having managed to paddle back to the beach, he was driven to Kingscote for treatment but eventually had to be airlifted to Flinders Medical Centre.

“I want to thank all those involved in getting me to the hospital, the awesome emergency services and medical staff, and my family and friends for all their love and support,” the shark attack victim wrote in his letter, per The Advertiser.

Shark Watch South Australia did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Tuesday, Oct. 7.

Read the original article on People