Andre wasn't expected to survive a shark attack. Every day he talks about returning to the water

Andre de Ruyter was not expected to survive a bull shark attack when he was surfing at Manly in early February. The 27-year-old's right leg was amputated below the knee, and doctors warned the prognosis might prevent recovery. Two surfers, Ash Bowler and Eduardo Botti, dragged him to shore and used leg ropes as makeshift tourniquets to stem bleeding. Volunteer lifeguard Sarah Lally performed CPR, and two NSW Police highway patrol cars delivered blood from hospitals in a ten-second exchange at the Spit Bridge. De Ruyter received 13 units of blood en route to Royal North Shore Hospital. After 17 days in intensive care, he opened his eyes, and months later he is upright at Northern Beaches Rehabilitation, undergoing five sessions weekly with a prosthetic under his knee. His family credits resilience, faith, and focused therapy for his ongoing recovery, and they remain hopeful about his return to the water.