“You can usually stop people from dying with basic equipment and simple techniques.”

Regarding shark attacks and incidents, the news is grim right now. Highlighted by the fatal attack at crowded Snapper on a 46-year-old male surfer, there were 51 shark attacks in 2020. Of these attacks, 17 were in Australia, and 23 were from the USA. In Australia, six of them were fatal. In comparison, there were no fatalities last year, one in 2018 and one in 2017.

There are so many postulations on why the attack numbers are up. These include rising water temperatures and a growing population due to the sharks placed, possibly incorrectly, on a protected list in Commonwealth waters.

The conservationists are fighting for the sharks to continue to be protected while more surfers are dying. Amongst it all, Dr Jon Cohen wants to save lives.

Dr Cohen is a member of the Surfing Doctors, and he assembles and sells Shark Attack Slam Packs. So we got going with a few questions about the reality of shark attacks and what to do when the real shit goes down. It’s a good read, and Dr Cohen is more about empowerment with his shark attack kits and first aid kits than unit sales. But if you want to know more about the kits, check them out  here.

What is the biggest misconception about a shark bite and immediate treatment?

The biggest misconceptions are that a helicopter and a fancy hospital are what’s going to stop you from dying. That’s unrealistic. It’s a time thing. When it goes down, everything happens very fast. Most bites are on the limbs, meaning they’re considered “compressible haemorrhages” in the medical world. In plain speak, you can stop people from dying with basic equipment and simple techniques.

For the full read of this article, please head to this this Surfline link.