Man uses surfboard to fight off shark in second attack in two days on Australian beach

Surfer left with 8in wound after confrontation

Police officer holds a victim's surfboard at a police station in Ballina, Australia (AP)

A man has used his surfboard to fight off a shark in what is the second such attack in two days on an Australian beach.

A 43-year-old surfer, who has not been named, was bitten by a shark on the calf at Shelly Beach near the town of Ballina in New South Wales.

The 5ft-long animal sunk its teeth into the surfer causing an 8in wound.

In a desperate attempt to survive the surfer was forced to use his board to beat the shark away.

Beaches in the area are expected to be closed for at least 24 hours.

Earlier this week, a shark killed a man in a harbour in the Whitsunday Islands, where two tourists were mauled in September.

The victim, 33-year-old doctor Daniel Christidis, had been diving from a paddle board while on a yacht cruise in the idyllic Whitsundays.


 Beaches in the area are expected to be closed for at least 24 hours 
 (AP)

The group included other doctors who worked to save him but Mr Christidis was injured too severely.

Daniel Gschwind, chief executive of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, which represents more than 3,000 tourism businesses, said authorities were examining why the unprecedented series of attacks had occurred and whether environmental changes were a factor.

"We need to now have the scientific background and investigation of what is causing this sudden spike of attacks and interactions with sharks. We simply do not know why this is occurring and what is responsible for it," Mr Gschwind said.