Port Macquarie Shark Attack: Surfer is attacked by a great white shark identified as Toby Begg while fighting for his life in hospital

A surfer fighting for his life after a brutal shark attack has been identified as the 44-year-old father of two.

Toby Begg was surfing about 150m off the coast of Lighthouse Beach in Port Macquarie on the north mid-coast of New South Wales. on Friday morning when he was attacked by a shark.

He wrestled the shark, believed to be a great white shark measuring up to 4.2 meters in length, for about 30 seconds.

Fellow surfers pulled Mr. Begg out of the water with severe injuries from hip to calf.

He was taken to Port Macquarie Base Hospital where he underwent surgery.

Mr Begg has since been transferred to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle to undergo further operations.

The man who was brutally attacked by what is believed to be a white whale has been identified as 44-year-old father-of-two Toby Begg (pictured).

Mr Begg’s board was split in two by Friday’s horror attack

Martin Burke, Chief Inspector of NSW Police, confirmed Mr Begg had attempted to fight the shark and sustained injuries in the process.

“According to reports, a man tried to fight this shark for 30 seconds and then swam to shore where he realized he had sustained serious injuries to his lower leg,” Chief Insp Burke said.

“As far as I know, it was a sustained and prolonged attack.”

Chief Inspector Burke commended an off-duty paramedic for stepping in at the time of the attack to save Mr Begg’s life.

“Being extremely fortunate to have an ER doctor on site will all be vital in giving this gentleman the best chance of survival,” Chief Insp Burke said.

Paramedics treated the man at the scene before he was taken to Port Macquarie Base Hospital, where he remains in critical condition and is undergoing surgery.

Inspector Joshua Smyth of the NSW Ambulance said Mr Begg suffered life-threatening injuries and loss of blood during the attack.

“Apparently bystanders did a remarkable job with the patient initially, initially stopping the bleeding and calling Triple Zero,” said Insp Smyth.

“The crews did a really remarkable job.

“They were on site quickly, did not have to wait long on site and the patient was taken to the best and most appropriate destination.”

The attack occurred about 150 meters off the coast of Lighthouse Beach in Port Macquarie (pictured) on Friday morning and repelled the beast for about 30 seconds

Mr Begg suffered serious injuries from his hip to his calf and lost large amounts of blood before an ambulance, who happened to be at the scene, came to his aid

A young girl who witnessed the horror described the shark as “really big” and said first responders used the man’s leg ropes and sticks to keep his limbs straight.

“His foot was ripped off and he was bleeding pretty much everywhere,” she told NBN News.

“They tried to talk to him, he was silent, he was frozen.”

Another witness said the shark tried to attack a second time as other surfers helped the victim ashore.

Loren Enfield was one of the surfers in the water when the shark attacked and said locals safely dragged the man onto the sand within minutes.

“It was horrible, you don’t want it to happen to anyone,” she told the port news.

“I never want anything like that to happen again.” It was big.’

Ms Enfield paddled to shore as fast as she could before alerting a nearby mother and daughter to call an ambulance.

Lighthouse Beach and other nearby beaches are now closed for at least 24 hours.

Mid North Coast lifeguard coordinator James Turnham said it had been almost a decade since a shark attack in the area.

Paramedics attended to Mr Begg before he was transported by helicopter to Port Macquarie Base Hospital where he underwent surgery

Lighthouse Beach is not patrolled by lifeguards at this time of year as the surrounding beaches are also closed to swimmers and surfers

A Surf Life Saving NSW drone is being used to determine the size and species of the shark that bit the man, according to a local surf rescue club. However, it is believed that it was a great white shark.

“We hope and pray for a happy ending for the victim involved,” the club said in a post on Facebook.

Lighthouse Beach is not patrolled at this time of year.

The Australian Rescue Service has put up signs on the beach to warn people to stay away from the water.

Experts from the NSW Department of Primary Industries have launched an investigation into the incident and are in contact with officers at the Mid North Coast Police District.