The finals day of the World Surf League’s New Zealand Professional occasion was paused after a photographer was attacked within the water by a sea creature that organisers consider was a shark or sea lion.
The incident occurred as Brazilian surfers Yago Dora and Italo Ferreira competed within the males’s semi-finals in Raglan on the North Island.
A ‘code purple’ was activated with the occasion placed on maintain on Monday whereas medical groups responded.
Renato Hickel, World Surf League vice-president of excursions and competitors, mentioned the photographer, Australian Ed Sloane, had “small puncture wounds” and was taken to hospital by ambulance.
“We activate the code purple when it is a sea life assault on a surfer or a photographer. This time it was our beloved water photographer and thank God he is in good spirits. He is effectively contemplating what occurred,” Hickel mentioned on the WSL broadcast.
He added: “At this stage we’re not sure if it was a shark or a sea lion. The physician that was right here serving to on the scene was inclined to suppose it was a sea lion as an alternative of a shark.
“However very scary. Italo and Yago had been very shaken. They noticed the splash and the incident, so one more reason to place the occasion on maintain.
Sloane thanked the medical workforce and the WSL water patrol for his or her “fast help” in an announcement shared by the surf league.
“I’m doing okay, I’ve had bites to my left foot and am getting medical consideration,” he mentioned.
“I like this place and might’t wait to observe an epic Finals Day,” he added. “Cheering for everybody for an ideal end to the occasion.”
The occasion acquired again underway after a number of hours with security measures together with extra jet skis and a drone spotter to watch the water.
It stays unclear what bit Sloane.
