The woman, aged 63, was bitten on the hip and thigh at Main Beach in Merimbula around 6.45am this morning while she was swimming with another man.
The shark only bit once and left punctures to the back of her torso, below her left shoulder, and her right hip.
“There was initially some uncertainty if it was a shark, bystanders on scene reported seeing fins and a large animal,” Robert Whitney from NSW Ambulance said.
“It was pretty clear that it had been a shark attack as paramedics arrived on scene.”
“What we could see is that the patient suffered multiple wounds in what would have been a terrifying event, paramedics did a fantastic job in treating the patient down at the beach before transporting to hospital.”
The victim was a local who swims at the beach regularly, and was known to the emergency services at the scene.
The Department of Primary Industries are investigating the incident to determine the size and type of the shark.
The patient was taken to South East Regional Hospital in a stable condition where she is believed to be recovering well from her injuries.
Surf Life Saving drones have been launched to surveil the waters off Merimbula to look for the shark however no sightings have been reported since the attack.
Lifesavers will work with the Department of Primary Industries to monitor any marine activity.
Beaches from Wallagoot Lake to Pambula will be closed for the next 24 hours.
“It’s a beautiful day down here on the south coast so it will be tough for people to stay out of the water but we really do ask that you do,” local life saver Sharon McCarthy said.
This content first appear on 9news