A grandmother has undergone emergency surgery after she was attacked by a shark while swimming off a small coastal town in South Australia.
Pamela Cook was bitten on her foot and leg by a shark this morning at Beachport jetty, about 380km south-east of Adelaide.
Cook, who works at the local pub, was helped out of the water and given first aid by bystanders until paramedics arrived.
The 64-year-old was part of a group of early morning swimmers who had been in the water for about an hour before the attack.
The group members witnessed the attack and helped drag her from the water, while tradies helped give first aid.
"Give you a bit of a shock initially," friend David told 9News.
Locals said they had never seen a shark in the area before.
Police were first called about 7.45am and Cook was rushed to Mount Gambier Hospital, about an hour away, in a serious condition.
A spokesperson for South Australian Ambulance Service told 9news.com.au the initial plan had been to transfer the woman from Mount Gambier to a hospital in Adelaide, but that the regional hospital was well placed to manage her care.
The beach remains closed and officials have urged everyone to avoid the Beachport area.
It's not known at this stage what type of shark was responsible.
