Shark Attacks New Zealand Woman Walking in Knee-Deep Water: 'Recovery Will Be Slow'

New Zealand authorities reported that the victim "received a significant laceration to her leg that required treatment from emergency services"

A woman was bitten by a shark on Monday around 2 a.m. local time while "walking in knee-deep water" in a Riverton, New Zealand estuary, the Southern District Police said in a statement on Facebook.

The 21-year-old unidentified victim “received a significant laceration to her leg that required treatment from emergency services," the Southern District Police said. A Hato Hone St John ambulance spokesperson said that the victim was “in a serious condition" and was "transported to Southland Hospital," reports RNZ.

The victim’s mother told the New Zealand Herald that her daughter was in the ICU and "doing well after surgery," but she still “has a long recovery ahead of her."

”She is a very strong woman, and I know that she will get through this," added the mother. "Recovery will be slow; however, in time, she will be okay.”

Law enforcement said in the statement that the "time of day is a possible factor" of the attack. Additionally, authorities speculate the shark is a sevengill shark due to the species presence in the estuary.

The sevengill shark is also one of the country’s “more common inshore sharks,” per New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.

Related: School Teacher Believed Killed in Shark Attack at South Australia Beach: 'I Saw His Board'

“This shark is a bit of a biter, and may be aggressive when provoked,” and can “survive in just a meter of water," the NIWA notes.

NIWA principal scientist Dr. Malcolm Francis shared that when the sevengill shark’s jaw is open, it looks like “a saw-edge.” The shark has serrated teeth that slant sideways and have multiple sharp cusps.

Related: How to Prevent a Shark Attack and What to Do If Bitten? An American Lifeguard Association Expert Weighs In

Riverton Coastguard president Ross McKenzie told RNZ that he was surprised by the attack. "As far as I am aware that's the first shark attack of that kind in the estuary around Riverton,” McKenzie told the outlet. “I have been here around 20 years and it's the first I've heard anything like that.”

"But as I say this is the first one I've known of, I don't know the history in years gone by,” McKenzie added. “But I don't think there have been any shark attacks in this area. One out of the blue you'd hope."

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While McKenzie was surprised by the news, he told RNZ that local fishermen see and catch the sharks in Riverton often, especially during the evening.

Per the police statement, authorities ask those entering the water to “follow safety guidelines and avoid late-night swims.”

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