00:02Joel Mason can attest that any help on hand is vital after a shark attack.
00:07In December 2018 I was attacked while surfing.
00:11I was so fortunate to have Paul and Luke help me out.
00:16It was their quick thinking and using my leg rope as a tourniquet.
00:21Surf Life Saving NSW is now rolling out shark bite kits,
00:25containing bandages and tourniquets to help bystanders act fast.
00:29If a shark bite incident occurs, anyone in the community can come up to the surf club,
00:35access the shark bite trauma kit and start that immediate first aid.
00:39There were 23 shark attacks across Australia last year, including 5 failure ones,
00:44which means access to kits like these can mean the difference between life and death.
00:48But given how severe shark bite injuries can be,
00:51the more first aid knowledge bystanders have, the better.
00:54Tack Med Australia designed the shark bite kits and also runs specialised first aid courses.
01:01Anyone can go and pick up a tourniquet and work through those skills,
01:05but being able to go and get some training will just make you feel that much more confident in the
01:10moment.
01:10You know, as a survivor, we relied on the knowledge and equipment that was, you know,
01:17most of the time was minimal to deal with these kind of horrific attacks.
01:22You know, whereas if the community has these available,
01:26then hopefully they can mitigate the injuries and save people's lives.
01:31A small kit that can make a big difference.
01:33A small kit that can make a big difference.
01:33A small kit that can make a big difference.
01:34It's beautiful.
01:36It's beautiful.
01:36You know, that's a really good thing.
01:38Probably not.
01:38You know, really good.
01:39You're really grateful for the festival.
01:39I think, for sure, it's a very good way of getting a big hit,
01:39It's like, I think, what's the thing to do?
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