A surfer in his 40s has been attacked by a shark at Evans Head on the northern NSW coast.
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The man was surfing at Main Beach about 6.20am on Friday.
He suffered puncture wounds to his leg and hands and has been taken to Lismore Hospital, a police spokeswoman said.
In a frantic rescue effort, paramedics started working on the man on the beach before calling on a police officer to drive them to hospital.
A rescue helicopter could not land due to heavy fog.
"A police officer drove the ambulance to allow paramedics to work on the man en route to the hospital," the spokeswoman said.
The man is in a serious but stable condition.
Beaches around nearby Ballina were closed on Sunday after a 3½ metre long shark was spotted off the coast.
The shark was seen in the same area in which bodyboarder Matt Lee was mauled by a similar-sized great white shark three weeks ago.
In February, 41-year-old Japanese surfer Tadashi Nakahara died after being bitten by a shark at Shelley Beach near Ballina.
It is common practice for emergency service members such as police, fire and SES personnel to drive the ambulance, allowing two paramedics to provide care to a seriously injured or unwell patient.
