“At this stage we’re not certain if it was a shark or a sea lion. The doctor that was here helping on the scene was inclined to think it was a sea lion instead of a shark.
“Nevertheless, very scary. Italo and Yago were very shaken. They saw the splash and the incident, so another reason to put the event on hold.
“Hopefully we can wrap the event today.”
In a statement, WSL said the photographer was in a stable condition.
“Today, at 8.26am, a member of our photography team suffered a wildlife injury in the water while photographing the men’s semi-finals. Event medical teams responded immediately, and the individual is in stable condition and received on-site medical attention before being transported to the hospital.
“Their safety, and the safety of our staff and competitors, are our priority, and we will provide updates as further information becomes available.”
More to come …
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.