A heroic young man who carried his girlfriend back to shore after a shark savaged his leg has been identified.
Lukas Schindler, 26, and his girlfriend Livia Muhlheim, 25, were mauled by a bull shark during an early morning swim in the unpatrolled waters off Kylies Beach at Crowdy Bay, south of Port Macquarie, on Thursday.
Emergency services were called to the beach, known to be a shark hotspot, at about 6.30am following reports that the young Swiss couple had been attacked.
Mr Schindler, an exchange student, who had recently qualified as a diving instructor tried desperately to fight off the three-metre shark as it attacked his girlfriend.
The 25-year-old had been using a GoPro to film herself swimming with dolphins moments before the shark bit her several times, tearing off her left arm.
Eventually he managed to scare it away but not before the animal mauled Ms Muhlheim and bit him twice on the leg as well.
These injuries did not stop Mr Schindler getting her to shore where bystanders immediately jumped in to try and save her life.
Despite their best efforts, Ms Muhlheim succumbed to her injuries before paramedics arrived.
Lukas Schindler, 26, and his girlfriend were mauled by a shark in unpatrolled waters off Kylies Beach at Crowdy Bay, south of Port Macquarie, on Thursday
Amid the attack Mr Schindler swam out to his girlfriend as fast as he could.
He managed to punch it several times before the shark latched onto his right leg and but him twice.
Upon getting back to shore Mr Schindler raced to retrieve his phone and call emergency services.
This was when a passerby spotted the severely injured exchange student and applied a makeshift tourniquet to his leg using her swimmers.
The bystander was guided by paramedics on the phone and authorities have praised her as likely having saved Mr Schindler’s life.
Mr Schindler was flown to John Hunter Hospital, in Newcastle, where he remained in a stable condition on Friday.
Police are now reviewing the footage Ms Muhlheim captured in the lead up to the attack, although it is unknown if the attack itself was captured on camera.
A report is being prepared for the coroner.
Mr Schindler managed to carry Livia Muhlheim, 25, back to shore despite having been bitten in the leg twice by the three-metre shark
A massive operation is now underway to track down the shark believed to have attacked the couple.
Drones and drum lines were dispatched to the area of the beach where the incident took place on Thursday.
Mr Schindler completed his diving instructors’ course at a Bondi dive centre and had served as a first lieutenant in the Swiss Armed Forces, according to his online posts.
Both he and his girlfriend had only arrived at their Mid North Coast campsite late Wednesday night, other campers told The Age.
The pair had set off for their morning swim at the unpatrolled beach early the next day.
Police have confirmed they are in contact with the Consulate General of Switzerland in Sydney to notify the couple’s family abroad.