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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Surfer knocked unconscious by whale at Bondi | Surfer knocked unconscious by whale at Bondi |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| A surfer has been knocked unconscious by a 15-metre humpback whale that flicked him off his board at Sydney's Bondi Beach. | A surfer has been knocked unconscious by a 15-metre humpback whale that flicked him off his board at Sydney's Bondi Beach. |
| The whale was among surfers about 70 metres offshore on Sunday morning when it got too close to one of them and knocked him off his board. | The whale was among surfers about 70 metres offshore on Sunday morning when it got too close to one of them and knocked him off his board. |
| The man lost consciousness for about 10 seconds and other surfers managed to help him back to the beach. | The man lost consciousness for about 10 seconds and other surfers managed to help him back to the beach. |
| He was treated by paramedics and lifeguards before being taken to St Vincent's Hospital in a stable condition. | He was treated by paramedics and lifeguards before being taken to St Vincent's Hospital in a stable condition. |
| Bondi lifeguard Adrian Kovacic says lifesavers had spotted the whale in the water and had been aware of the potential for injury. | Bondi lifeguard Adrian Kovacic says lifesavers had spotted the whale in the water and had been aware of the potential for injury. |
| "The whale came heaps close to shore and then the surfers were heaps close to it," Kovacic said. "We sent our lifeguard to make a big radius around the whale to get everyone away, and while he was doing that one guy got too close and got hit by the tail. | |
| "We treated it as a spinal, and then he went to hospital." | "We treated it as a spinal, and then he went to hospital." |
| An Ambulance NSW spokesman said the man was handled with great care. | An Ambulance NSW spokesman said the man was handled with great care. |
| "He was conscious by the time paramedics saw him, had suffered some injuries, so he was placed on a precautionary board for back, neck and head injuries," the spokesman said. | |
| One witness told the ABC the whale was "the size of a bus". | One witness told the ABC the whale was "the size of a bus". |
| "I mean, it was 40 feet long – it was huge," Lachlan Harris said. "They were playing and the whale was frolicking with them and having a lot of fun and sort of popping its head out. | "I mean, it was 40 feet long – it was huge," Lachlan Harris said. "They were playing and the whale was frolicking with them and having a lot of fun and sort of popping its head out. |
| "It just flicked its tail and some surfers were in the wrong [place] and the next thing, you know, a surfboard is flying in the air... It was unbelievable." | "It just flicked its tail and some surfers were in the wrong [place] and the next thing, you know, a surfboard is flying in the air... It was unbelievable." |
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