An Australian woman is recovering after she was bitten in the face by a great white shark.
Bridgette O’Shannessy, 32, survived being bitten by a shark while free-diving off a reef in Port Noarlunga off of South Australia with her diving partner Brian Gordon Roberts on Friday, Perth Now reported.
Mr Roberts reportedly wrestled the shark off of Ms O’Shannessy before applying pressure to her multiple facial wounds. She has since undergone two surgeries after the attack caused “extremely serious head injuries” and nerve damage.
The attack also left her with missing teeth, according to reports.
“She’s doing really well considering the circumstances,” Mr Roberts said.
The diver is now expected to spend a few days recovering in hospital.
Ray Tomlinson, an off-duty lifeguard, told 9 News he rushed over to Ms O’Shannessy after he heard cries for help.
“I basically went over to assist getting the craft up onto the beach and securing it, at which time I [realized] there was a patient in the boat,” he said.
He added that Ms O’Shannessy did not appear to be under any stress as he helped Mr Roberts tend to the woman’s injuries.
“When I could see a small amount of blood, I actually assumed it was a fall or a grazing on the reef,” he said. “I certainly wouldn’t have thought it was a major shark attack”.
The great white shark is still roaming free— (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Witnesses said the gruesome attack left a trail of blood on the beach.
Ms O’Shannessy was taken to Flinders Medical Centre in serious but stable condition, according to 9 News.
In a statement, police said the beach was evacuated following the incident while authorities searched for the shark.
However, the search was unsuccessful and the shark remains in the water, police said.
“Police with the assistance of other emergency services evacuated the water while a search to locate the shark was undertaken,” the statement read.
“Members of the public have since returned to the water after the search failed to locate the shark.”
Ms O’Shannessy is an experienced diver and environmental consultant at Flinders University near where the attack happened.
In February, a 16-year-old girl was mauled to death by a shark in Western Australia while jetskiing with her friends south of Perth.
The girl is believed to have spotted a pool of dolphins, before diving into the Swan River in North Fremantle and being attacked by the shark.
Meanwhile, a man aged in his early 20s escaped death after fighting off a suspected great white shark after it mauled his leg in Perth in July.
