A man will undergo surgery after being bitten on the arm by a shark in the waters of Lake Macquarie on Saturday afternoon.

Emergency services were called to Yoorala Road in Lake Macquarie about 6.30pm following reports of a shark attack.

NSW Ambulance paramedics treated a 58-year-old man at the scene for injuries to his left arm. He was later airlifted to John Hunter Hospital, where he will undergo surgery.

Police were told the man was swimming with a woman in the lake when he was bitten. The woman, aged 56, helped pull him to shore.

Inspector Grahame Rathbone, of the NSW Ambulance Service, praised bystanders for applying a makeshift tourniquet before paramedic crews arrived.

“This was potentially lifesaving for the patient,” he said.

“He was conscious and alert while receiving treatment from paramedics. When you get a call to attend a shark attack, you never really know the full extent of the injuries until you get on scene.”

Officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District are working with NSW Fisheries to identify the shark species involved.

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