Surfers and survivors of shark attacks are advocating for financial support from either government bodies or private corporations to implement life-saving emergency response kits on all Australian beaches.
These kits, known as Community Shark Bite Kits, are specifically designed to manage severe bleeding and were developed by Danny Schouten. The inspiration came after Schouten’s friend, Kai McKenzie, nearly lost his life to a shark attack while surfing in Port Macquarie in 2024.
“It was sheer luck that a man walking his dog on the beach that day was trained in trauma management. He used his dog leash to save Kai’s life,” Schouten recounted.
McKenzie expressed his gratitude for the presence of someone with trauma expertise during his ordeal, acknowledging that not everyone in such situations would be as fortunate.
“I was incredibly lucky to have someone with the right skills there to save me. However, there will be instances when that’s not the case. A Shark Bite Kit could significantly improve survival chances,” he stated.
Schouten has launched a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to broaden the initiative, aiming to place a kit on every beach nationwide.
“Ideally, we’d have the government’s support… funding from businesses or other ventures to be able to get behind it and put one everywhere,” Schouten said.
“It’s about Australian beaches being well prepared for when these attacks happen and making our coastline a safer place for everyone.
“We’re not going to stop doing what we love, so we just have to be better prepared.”
