TWO BRITISH tourists have been left with serious injuries following a violent shark attack at a popular tourist spot in Australia.
Alistair Raddon, 28, from Southampton, and Danny Maggs, from Plymouth were on a snorkelling day cruise around the Whitsunday Islands when the incident occurred.
The pair were attacked while swimming around Hook Passage, with Maggs suffering serious leg wounds while Raddon’s foot was bitten off by the shark.
In the wake of the attack, the two men were transported to shore by their tour boat.
They subsequently received treatment before being flown to a nearby hospital and are said to now be in a stable condition.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "One of the male patients was attacked first and the shark is believed to have returned and come back and attacked the second patient.”
It’s unclear what sparked the attack.
Experts have previously suggested sharks can be drawn to fishing activity.
They are also thought to be especially active during dusk hours.
The attack occurred just 10km (six miles) from the site where an Australian man was fatally bitten by a shark last November.
The Australian Shark Attack File estimates at least 10 people have been injured in unprovoked shark attacks in Australia over the past year.
See More: Australia, Shark Attack, Travelling
