NEWCASTLE MAN FIRST ON SCENE OF BYRON BAY SHARK ATTACK

A Newcastle lawyer was one of the first people on scene to assist a man fatally attacked by a shark at Byron Bay.

Mark Hickey rushed into the water at Main Beach with his surf-ski and dragged the man onto the beach, where he gave him CPR for around 20 minutes.

Mr Hickey says he saw a six-or-seven foot shark menacing the victim.

The Byron Bay man, believed to be in his 50s, was bitten on his right leg while swimming just before 11am this morning.

Paramedics were unable to revive the man and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police say the man’s wife was watching her husband from the beach when he was attacked.

Hear Mark Hickey talk about what he encountered at the scene HERE: