A group of surfers and shark attack survivors are calling for support to roll out life-saving emergency response kits on beaches across Australia.
A year after creating Community Shark Bite Kits to help victims of shark attacks in the Port Macquarie-Hastings area, founder Danny Schouten has deployed more than 150 emergency kits on beaches across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.
Each kit is designed to help control life-threatening bleeding in the case of a dangerous encounter with a shark. Medical equipment specialists TacMed supplies the kit contents, which include a tourniquet, two conforming bandages, two large dressings, an emergency thermal blanket, gloves, a whistle, and step-by-step instructions on how to treat a shark bite.
Following growing community demand, Danny is seeking support to make Community Shark Bite Kits available on beaches across Australia. He is joined by his friends and shark attack survivors Toby Begg and Kai McKenzie, whose experience last year inspired Danny to design the emergency response kits.
A fundraiser which has raised more than $5600 has been launched on GoFundMe to raise $10,000 for the development and rollout of Community Shark Bite Kits nationwide. The goal is to give Australians the best possible chance of survival in the event of a shark attack.
Shark Bite Kits founder, Danny Schouten, said, “when a shark attack happens, every second counts. A Shark Bite Kit provides tools that can help control bleeding and hopefully increase someone’s chance of survival. With the support of communities and donors, we can get Shark Bite Kits on every beach around the country. 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.”
Toby Begg, said, “Shark Bite Kits are important because they have the potential to be life saving specifically to stop massive bleeding until emergency help arrives. I know from my own experience that the application of a tourniquet and having the means to manage a traumatic situation could make all the difference when seconds count. Having one nearby can turn a tragic accident into a survivable event.”
Kai McKenzie, said, “the Shark Bite Kits are a great idea that could really save someone’s life. I was lucky to have someone with such experience to save me, but there will come a day where that won’t be the case and a Shark Bite Kit would help the chances of surviving dramatically.”
Tim Cadogan, GoFundMe CEO, said he had the privilege of meeting Danny, Toby and Kai last month and admire their drive to roll out such a simple but vital kit. “Their spirit of collective, community-driven impact, is what GoFundMe is built for. We look forward to supporting this national movement to protect and save lives,” he said.
To donate visit www.gofundme.com/f/community-shark-bite-kits
