Caleb upbeat as he heads home

GEORGE NEWS - Caleb Swanepoel, the UCT student who survived a shark attack at Buffalo Bay on Saturday 27 June in which his right leg was severed above the knee, was discharged from Mediclinic George on Tuesday afternoon 7 July.

While packing Caleb's bags in the Mediclinic, Tracy, Caleb's mother, said going back home to Prince Albert will have additional challenges.

"One of the biggest challenges that Caleb, who is very active, will face, is that he will have to remain inactive for long periods as not to put undue pressure on his left leg as it is still swollen from the shark bite."

Caleb said he expects to be in Prince Albert for the next three weeks and then his plans are to relocate to Cape Town for his recuperation.

"Cape Town is where my friends and infrastructure are; this is where I am at varsity and I want to get back on an even keel as soon as possible. Mediclinic George has been fantastic and I will be forever grateful to everyone for their help and efficiency in saving my life."

Reflecting on the sequence of events on the beach that fateful Saturday, Tracy said the National Sea Rescue Institute's (NSRI) emergency number has to somehow be more visible during such a time of crisis.

Caleb now feels that all items used by surfers should feature the national 112 NSRI emergency number (that can be contacted from a cellphone) as well as the local NSRI station's number.

"It should be on your surfboard, boogie board, flippers, kayak and oars. My mother said that while I was lying in her arms during the critical period directly after the shark attack, my sisters and my brothers' girlfriends were phoning for help.

"Every person they phoned naturally first asked about my situation instead of reacting to the plea for an emergency number," he said.

According to Tracy, from the moment the NSRI was contacted, they were there within 20 minutes to take over the emergency.

"This was the first time I could think, because all I was doing up to then, was keeping Caleb awake. The NSRI and the people at Buffalo Bay were fantastic."

During his son's surgery on Monday 29 June, Caleb's father, Luc, told the George Herald that Dr Michael Ray Sunshine, who was on call at Mediclinic George when the helicopter brought Caleb in, had told him that his son is lucky to be alive.

"Dr Sunshine attributed Caleb's survival to the fact that the main artery clotted after the shark released its grip on Caleb's leg, causing the artery to go into spasm, which minimised the bleeding."

Caleb said he would definitely be returning to swim in the sea, "Yes, definitely. I love the water. I am not scared of the sea and I did get one hell of a fright but my family and friends are here to carry me through this challenging time in my life."

During an interview on RSG's breakfast show Monitor yesterday morning, Caleb said the thump when the shark hit him was immense, but he cannot tell when the shark actually bit off his leg.

Mum Tracy told Monitor that Caleb is an inspiration and very brave, but that she can see in his eyes that he realises that life will never be the same again.

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