Her husband had succeeded in bringing her out of the immediate danger zone.
But the attack had caused injuries that required hospital-level treatment.
The severity of a shark bite is not determined solely by whether the victim remains conscious.
Serious tissue damage may require surgery, careful wound management, and ongoing assessment even when a patient is initially described as stable.
That distinction is important in Chantelle's case.
She would later be transported by helicopter in stable condition.
Stable did not mean uninjured.
It meant that her condition was sufficiently controlled for transport at the time it was reported.
The medical response needed to continue beyond the beach.
A helicopter was arranged to take her to hospital care.
The emergency had entered a new phase.
The shark was no longer the immediate threat.
The priority was treating the damage left behind.
Chapter 7: An Emergency Helicopter Takes Her to Hospital
Chantelle was transported from the Port Macquarie area by helicopter for further medical treatment.
The decision reflected the seriousness of her injuries.
Helicopter transport can help move critically or seriously injured patients to hospitals with appropriate facilities, particularly when rapid access to specialized care is important.
For Chantelle, the flight followed an extraordinary chain of events.
She had been surfing off Shelly Beach.
A great white shark had bitten her right leg.
Her husband had jumped onto the animal and repeatedly punched it until she was released.
He had then helped her reach shore, where others assisted with the emergency response.
Now she was being taken to a hospital.
Reports described her condition as stable during the transfer.
That was an encouraging development.
It indicated that she had survived the immediate attack and was receiving continued medical care.
However, a stable condition does not establish the complete extent of an injury or guarantee a particular recovery timeline.
The supplied account does not provide detailed surgical findings, the number of procedures performed, or the full duration of her rehabilitation.
Those details should not be invented.
What can be said is that Chantelle survived the encounter and reached hospital care.
Her husband's intervention had helped end the immediate contact with the shark.
The assistance provided on the beach helped bridge the period between the attack and professional medical treatment.
And the helicopter transfer allowed her to continue receiving care away from the scene.
The event also demonstrated how several different forms of assistance can become important during a marine emergency.
The husband's physical intervention addressed the immediate animal threat.
The return to shore removed Chantelle from the ocean.
Bystanders and emergency personnel helped manage the injuries.