A shark, apparently a Great White, attacked a spear fisherman near Cape Agulhas on Thursday, the NSRI said.

A fellow spear fisherman brought the 43-year-old man to Arniston harbour around noon and used the rubber bands from their spear guns as a tourniquet on the wounds, National Sea Rescue Institute Agulhas station commander Reinard Geldenhuys said in a statement.

“It was reported that he was safe in the harbour and suffering bite wounds following a reported shark encounter, believed to be with a Great White shark, while spearfishing off-shore of Ryspunt.”

The man had multiple lacerations, a tear to his left leg, and lacerations to his right hand, caused by trying to fight the shark off.

NSRI medics and Fire and Rescue Services paramedics treated the man before he was taken to Bredasdorp hospital, where he was stabilised. He was airlifted to a Cape Town hospital in a serious but stable condition.