An off-duty nurse and paramedic used a makeshift tourniquet to save the life of a British tourist whose foot was bitten off by a shark in Australia.

Alistair Raddon, 28, from Southampton, was injured at Queensland’s Whitsunday Islands on Tuesday.

Danny Maggs, 22, from Plymouth, who was also attacked, suffered leg injuries.

Swedish couple Emma Andersson and Billy Ludvigsson, who were on a day cruise with the pair, used ropes and towels to stem Mr Raddon’s “severe” bleeding.

He said: “I think that saved his life, because he was bleeding so badly.

“It was a long boat ride back to shore and if he continued to bleed that much all the way back to shore I’m not sure he would have made it.”

Mr Ludvigsson said it took about five minutes to stop the “life-threatening” blood flow.

Central Queensland Rescue said the men had told its helicopter crew the men were “wrestling and thrashing about in the water” when the attack happened at Hook Passage.

Grant Bollington, from the rescue service, said Mr Raddon thought “his mate was pulling on his leg hard and then realised there was a shark there”.

Mr Maggs suffered serious lacerations to his right calf.

In a statement, the pair thanked those on the boat with them and the emergency services.

They said: “Everyone dealt with our situation well and remained calm and we are very grateful for your help.”

The Whitsunday Islands – near the Great Barrier Reef – have seen other shark attacks in recent times.

The location is about 10km (six miles) from where an Australian man was fatally bitten by a shark last November.

Shark attacks have injured at least 10 people in Australia this year, according to the Australian Shark Attack File.

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