An investigation is underway after a photo of a Sydney shark attack victim’s injuries was leaked online.
Lauren O’Neill was attacked about 7.45pm on Monday, with emergency services quickly dispatching a helicopter to Billyard Avenue in Elizabeth Bay.
O’Neill’s neighbour Fiona Crago, a vet, applied a tourniquet to stem the bleeding after the attack and O’Neill was rushed to St Vincents Hospital.
However, the hospital is now investigating after a photo showing O’Neill’s wounded leg was circulated online.
“St Vincent’s has become aware of photos in the public domain that appear to have been taken in the emergency department and are related to those of a patient injury,” Hospital spokesperson David Faktor told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“St Vincent’s takes patient privacy obligations extremely seriously and is investigating this issue as a matter of priority.
“We have informed the patient of the photos being taken and circulated online. We have sincerely apologised for any part St Vincent’s played in the photos being taken.”
The photo appears to show O’Neill’s bloodied leg. It is not known how the photo ended up in the public domain.
“She wishes to thank her heroic and very kind neighbours for the critical assistance they provided her,” O’Neill’s family said in a statement.
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“Lauren is also immensely grateful to the New South Wales ambulance paramedics and Kings Cross police for their swift and caring actions at the scene.
“She would also like to thank all the clinicians at St Vincent’s Hospital, particularly the specialist surgical team who worked through the night.
“A likely full recovery is a testament to their extraordinary skills.”
O’Neill also asked for her privacy to be respected as she recovered.
An analysis of her injuries found them to be consistent with a bull shark attack.
