Lauren O’Neill was attacked about 7.45pm on Monday, with emergency services quickly dispatching a helicopter to Billyard Avenue in Elizabeth Bay.

In a statement shared from her hospital bed, O’Neill said she was taking a dip as she normally did most evenings.

She said a full recovery was “likely”, due to the quick response from emergency services, bystanders and staff at St Vincent’s Hospital.

“She wishes to thank her heroic and very kind neighbours for the critical assistance they provided her,” O’Neill’s family said in a statement.

“Lauren is also immensely grateful to the New South Wales ambulance paramedics and Kings Cross police for their swift and caring actions at the scene.

“She would also like to thank all the clinicians at St Vincent’s Hospital, particularly the specialist surgical team who worked through the night. 

“A likely full recovery is a testament to their extraordinary skills. 

“Finally, Lauren would like to thank her beautiful family, friends and colleagues for their unflinching care and support. 

“She would also like to thank the public for their outpouring of support and kindness.

“As she turns to focusing on her recovery, she asks that her privacy and her family’s privacy be respected.”

Yesterday, an analysis of her bite wounds confirmed a bull shark was responsible.

The creatures are commonly found in warm waters at this time of year.

O’Neill’s neighbour Fiona Crago, a vet, applied a tourniquet to stem the bleeding after the attack on Monday night.

“She was severely mauled on her right leg and losing a lot of blood,” Crago said.

“I just focused on what I had to do… which was stem the blood flow and bandaged the leg,” Crago said.

O’Neill – who is a keen kayaker – is believed to have recently purchased a unit in the area.

The 29-year-old is a public servant working for the NSW government within the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.