An American living in Western Australia, Lily Kumpe, has had a close encounter with an unidentified species of shark in Denmark, a few hours drive south of Perth.
The American photographer was attacked Wednesday morning June 24 in the surf, a large chunk was taken out of her board and there may have been some injuries to her hands.
Perth Now reported Lily Kumpe had a lucky escape, with a pod of dolphins chasing away the attacking shark.
“Witnesses at the beach said they saw a pod of dolphins swimming near the surfer believing they were trying to chase the shark away,” PerthNow said.
ABC News reporter Katrina Long identified victim of the shark attack south of Perth as Lily Kumpe –
Woman involved in susp. shark attack in Denmark this morning identified as American Lily Kumpe. She’s been released from hosp @abcnewsPerth
— Katrin Long (@Katrin_Long) June 24, 2015
Update: ABC 720 Perth spoke to Lily on the air
WA shark attack victim Lily tells @JohnMcGlue “I felt something hit me and I fell off my board. All that both of saw was a large dark mass”
— 720 ABC Perth (@720perth) June 24, 2015
Lily tells @JohnMcGlue her husband “saw what happened and I did scream – he paddled over to me and we paddled in” #sharkattack #Denmark
— 720 ABC Perth (@720perth) June 24, 2015
“I was surfing this morning with my husband, it was just the two of us out there,” she told 720 ABC Perth.
“I was laying down on my board paddling and then I just felt something hit me and I fell off my board.
“My husband paddled over to me and got me onto his board and we paddled in.
“He said he saw it but … all that I think both of us saw was a large dark mass.”
Denmark police tweeted this image of the surf board.
Scary moment for female surfer at Ocean Beach, minor injuries. Beach Closed for 48hrs #fb pic.twitter.com/3zLxURKWG8
— Denmark Police (@DenmarkPol) June 24, 2015
The area near Denmark is a beautiful spot, Blake Johnson from 7 News Perth tweeted this from the scene
Ocean Beach in Denmark, Western Australia closed from a #shark attack earlier. Damaged board pic from @DenmarkPol pic.twitter.com/VotyA9LWdH
— Blake Johnson (@BlakeJohnson) June 24, 2015
More from ABC News Perth.
The ABC understands the surfer, a local, sustained injuries to her hands but was conscious after the attack.
She was taken to Denmark hospital but has since been discharged.
The beach, the town’s main swimming area, has been closed for 24 hours as authorities try to track down the shark.
Denmark shire chief executive Dale Stewart told 630 ABC Great Southern that this would be the first recorded shark attack at the popular beach, although dolphins had been spotted there in the past.
He said the attack happened right near the surf life saving club.
According to her website, Kily Jumpe is a nature photographer, who moved to Western Australia with her husband in 2013.
“As newlyweds, Mike and I left the USA for Australia where the alien landscape and strange wildlife captured our imagination. I’ve been busily taking photographs since we arrived, but it wasn’t until joining the Meet Your Neighbours initiative in November 2013 that I really began to slow down and look closely,” she wrote on her website.
Lily Kumpe on Twitter
Tweets by @Lily_Kumpe
