Shark attacks diver on Australia’s east coast

Surfer Simon Letch shows his damaged surfboard after a shark latched onto it during his morning surf at Sydney's Bronte Beach, . Letch fought off a two-meter (seven-foot) shark with his board, before he returned to the beach 30 minutes after surviving the attack with a replacement board and despite the beach being closed because of the danger to continue surfing. File photo: AP.

A woman bitten on the hip by a shark while she was diving near Rockingham, Western Australia, on Saturday told rescuers that her attacker was a three—metre great white shark.

The 20—year—old was flown by helicopter to Royal Perth Hospital after being treated for several hours at Garden Island’s naval base.

Garden Island is 35 kilometres north of Port Kennedy, where fisherman Brian Guest was killed by a five—metre great white shark in 2008.

Three months ago surfer Nicholas Edwards bled to death after being bitten by a shark while surfing at Gracetown, near Western Australia’s Margaret River.