Surfer who survived great white shark shares message from recovery

Kai McKenzie, 23, was rushed to hospital after his right leg was severed in the attack at North Shore Beach at Port Macquarie on Tuesday, July 23.

Today he thanked his friends, family and supporters and promised to be “back in the water in no time”.

“Man oh, man to be here right now, just to be able to hold my beautiful Eve and my family is everything to me,” McKenzie wrote in an Instagram post.

“A few days ago I went through a crazy shark attack, which was a very crazy scene and scared the living f— out of me,” he said.

He said it was the biggest shark he had ever seen.

“To all you kind-hearted people, all you legends, to anyone and everyone all your support has meant the absolute world to me,” he said.

“It’s so cool to see so many beautiful people support me.”

He thanked all his supporters for their generous donations to a fundraiser set up for his recovery costs.

“We are so very grateful for everything,” he said.

“I can tell you now, if you know my personality, this means f— all.

“I’ll be back in that water In no time! 

“Big f— off to that shark, and big thanks to Steve for saving my life.”

Witnesses said they saw the pro surfer furiously paddling to shore before the shark smashed into the back of his board and dragged him under the waves. 

An off-duty police officer walking his dog nearby saw the surfer on the shore and rushed to McKenzie’s side.

He then used his dog’s leash as a makeshift tourniquet to stop the bleeding on what was left of the surfer’s leg.

It’s understood that his right leg was completely severed from his body and washed up on the beach an hour after the attack before it was placed on ice and taken to hospital to be reattached.

McKenzie was first taken to Macquarie base hospital, then flown to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.

The 23-year-old faces a lengthy rehabilitation process.

A fundraiser set up to support McKenzie has raised more than $150,000 since the attack.