Dramatic footage shows the moment a man was winched to safety after being bitten by a shark while surfing.
A tourniquet had been fitted to the 37-year-old man’s leg to prevent blood loss as paramedics rushed to the scene off the coast of Los Angeles, California.
An hour after the call was made at 3.15pm local time on Saturday, a US Coast Guard helicopter made it to the scene by Santa Rosa Island.
The footage, taken from the aircraft, shows the man being lifted from a small boat while the down draft from the rotors buffets the water.
A man claiming to be the diving partner of the victim said the beast responsible was a 15ft long Great White shark that dragged the surfer below the waves before releasing him.
A statement from the Coast Guard said that the man was flown back to the mainland where he was met by “emergency medical technicians” in Santa Barbara.
He was said to be in a stable condition.
Lt. Benjamin McIntyre-Coble, the Coast Guard Sector-Los Angeles Long Beach command duty officer, said: “This was the best possible outcome to a truly terrifying situation.”
He added: “This individual was fortunate to be with a buddy who was able to communicate their position to the Coast Guard.
“We are all happy that he will be able to be with his family in time for the holidays.”
