New Zealand surfer airlifted to hospital after shark attack

Suspected great white bites man in mouth, hand and elbow

The suspected great white shark left a tooth in the man's surfboard (Terry Goss/Wikipedia)

A surfer in New Zealand survived a shark attack on Friday and had to be airlifted to hospital after being bitten on his hand, elbow and mouth.

The man was at Baylys Beach, about 100 km south of Auckland, when the attack happened, according to police.

He was left in pain and bleeding but was still able to walk and talk, according to the New Zealand Herald.

A New Zealand police spokeswoman told the site that the man “paddled himself to shore following the attack”.

He was “given a ride” further up the beach by a man who helped him, she added.

Images posted online showed that the shark left bite marks and a tooth in the board.

The surfer, who is in his 20s, was flown to Whangarei Hospital for treatment.

Clinton Duffy, a marine scientist at New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, said that he believed the shark was a great white based on the markings it had left behind.

Most people survive attacks by great white sharks because they are often bite-and-release incidents, he added.

Baylys Beach is a popular spot for surfers and several were in the water during the attack, Trish Rolfe, the owner of a holiday park nearby, told the website Stuff.

Shark attacks are relatively rare in New Zealand, with only 113 unprovoked incidents in the country’s waters having occurred since 1840.

Additional reporting by agencies