A photographer shooting the final day of the World Surf League (WSL) in New Zealand was injured by what organisers suspect was a sea lion or shark bite on Monday, forcing the event to be put on hold for several hours.
The New Zealand Pro semi-final between Brazilian world champions Yago Dora and Italo Ferreira at Raglan was halted after the in-water photographer suffered puncture wounds and needed medical attention, the WSL said.
“This morning one of the water photography team suffered a wildlife injury,” said WSL deputy commissioner Renato Hinkle.
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He said the photographer had small puncture wounds. “He’s OK, he’s on his way to a hospital. We are in constant communication with him, he’s in a stable condition.”
Hinkle earlier told the event broadcast they were unsure what kind of animal had caused the injury.
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“At this stage we’re not certain if it was a shark or a sea lion. The doctor that was here helping on the scene was inclined to think it was a sea lion instead of a shark,” he said. “Nevertheless, very scary.”