A photo of a relaxed and happy surfer seems all but a distant memory as that same man is now fighting for his life after being mauled by a Great White Shark. Chris Blowes, was viciously attacked by what has been described as a ' massive monster', about 350 metres offshore near Right Point on the south-western side of Fishery Bay in Port Lincoln National Park, when he was attacked at 9.45am on Saturday. The 26-year-old is in a critical condition at the Royal Adelaide hospital after the horrifying moment which was witnessed by about a dozen other surfers who were in the water at the time and believed the six-metre creature swam away with the surfer's leg and a surfboard in its jaw. Scroll down for video . Chris Blowes (pictured left) is fighting for his life after being mauled by a Great White shark in South Australia . Mr Blowes was taken to Port Lincoln hospital before being airlifted to Adelaide on Saturday . Mr Blowes' family have released a statement expressing their gratitude for all of the support and well wishes they have received during this traumatic time. 'Currently our sole focus is on our unified, unconditional support and belief towards Christopher’s big fight he has ahead, and we ask that our privacy in being able to provide that is respected at this time,' the statement said. 'From the bottom of our hearts we wish to thank his inspirational mates who rescued him and got him to safety and all of the wonderful medical professionals both here in Adelaide and in Pt Lincoln who have attended to Christopher.' A Royal Adelaide hospital spokesman confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that Mr Blowes had lost a leg and was in a critical condition in intensive care. Onlookers have described the distressing moment they saw the surfer attacked by the predator. 'The shark came in and bit his leg off and the guys helped him in and carried him up the cliff,' said Glenn Lugg, who has been surfing in the area for 25 years. 'I was just watching the shark go out to the ocean with his board still attached. Obviously the shark still had his leg and he was still swimming around with it,' Mr Lugg told Adelaide Now. Friends have begun to send their love and support to Chris and his family on social media as he battles to stay alive following the horrendous incident . Concerned friends of Chris send their best wishes to him and his family . Friends have begun to send their love and support to Chris and his family on social media as he battles to stay alive following the horrendous incident. 'Thoughts are with Chris Blowes, family and friends. Get Well mate,' Daniel Gannon posted on Twitter. While Belinda Wicks posted on her Facebook page: 'Sending all my love and thoughts to Chris Blowes and family.' Mr Lugg was told to call an ambulance while his fellow surfers pulled Mr Blowes from the water, up the beach on a surfboard and into a car to take the 26-year-old to hospital. The shocked witness said the experience was 'pretty traumatic', but that everyone involved did a great job. A friend of Mr Blowes, Ty Swan, described the 26-year-old as a 'good bloke', and that he had been bitten in the middle of the thigh. Mr Swan placed a sign at the popular tourist beach to let others know of the attack. Another witness, who was surfing at the time, told Daily Mail Australia that 'there was blood everywhere'. The injured man was initially taken to Port Lincoln Hospital with life-threatening injuries but been been airlifted to Adelaide for further treatment. Shocked witnesses said after the attack, which took place at Fishery Bay, South Australia, the six-metre shark was seen swimming away with the surfer's leg in its mouth . The 26-year-old was airlifted to Adelaide for further treatment after he was bitten by a shark . Another man said those closest to the badly injured surfer acted quickly without any thought of danger to themselves. 'I was just watching the shark go out to the ocean with his board still attached,' another witness told the Sunday Mail. 'Obviously the shark still had his leg and he was still swimming around with it.' The man said even though he was 50 metres from the shark, he could see its 'massive' pectoral fin - and he had no doubts it was a great white shark, the most feared creature in the sea. However details of the type of shark and the man's injuries have not been released or confirmed. Mr Blowes is in a critical condition after the shark attack in Fishery Bay, Port Lincoln, in South Australia . Fishery Bay is on South Australia's west coast, which is about seven hours from Adelaide . Witnesses have described the horrifying moment that they saw Mr Blowes mauled by a Great White shark . After the shark victim had been brought ashore and carried up a slope to a parking area, he was loaded into a car. He remains in a critical condition after beign airlifted via a MedSTAR retrieval team to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for further treatment. Police were working with Fisheries officials, the local council and Surf Life Saving SA to post signs on the beach warning others promptly after the shark attack. The attack happened during conditions that police and marine experts have previously said are dangerous. The overcast conditions make it difficult for surfers to see sharks that might be in the area and it is believed that sharks often mistake humans for seals or dolphins. The incident comes after surfer Jake Heron managed to fight off a four metre Great White at the same beach 10 years ago which attacked him just 10 metres from shore by punching and kicking it . He escaped with 20 stitches in his arm and 40 stitches in his thigh. Jake Heron was mauled by a four-metre Great White in 2005 . Wildcatch Fisheries SA chairman Jonas Woolford said the number of shark sightings in the area had risen recently. 'There has been a number of sightings just recently actually at a number of locations along the coast near to Fishery Bay, just around the corner, the sightings have said that the sharks have been rather aggressive actually,' Mr Woolford told the ABC. 'It's been reported that there hasn't been many for about 10 or so weeks, so whether those ones that have been laying low are now coming back to the areas which they normally frequent and they may be rather hungry ... but yes, there has been more sightings around just recently.'
Chris Blowes is in a critical condition after a shark attack in South Australia. Police said the 26-year-old was attacked 350m offshore at Fishery Bay. He is in a critical condition in intensive care at Royal Adelaide hospital. The attack by a Great White shark happened just before 10am on Saturday. Witnesses claim the predator bit off the man's leg and swam away with it. His family released a statement thanking for the support and well wishes. South Australia has been the site of numerous shark attacks.