Billy O’Leary, a 20-year-old surfer from Mermaid Beach, Australia was bitten by a shark today while surfing Nobbys Beach on the Gold Coast after landing a floater on to the bull shark’s back, according to a story in the Courier Mail.
Mr Kolkka said Billy had told him he was performing an aerial trick known as a ‘floater’ when he landed on the shark. . . “It’s turned around and bitten him,” he said. . . “The shark probably wasn’t looking for him – it was just bad luck. . . “He made his way to shore but when he turned ’round and saw the injuries, he was really scared. He yelled out to a few people to help but they were wearing iPods and couldn’t hear him and just kept walking.”
O’Leary was taken to a Gold Coast hospital where he was treated for “deep lacerations to his left calf, including one to his Achilles tendon” and is reportedly in stable condition.
A man surfing Florida’s Jensen Public Beach was hit multiple times in his left arm by a five to six-foot-long shark today, according to a story in the Palm Beach Post.
The man suffered multiple bites to his left arm, but crews were able to control his bleeding and none of his injuries appear to be life-threatening. The man refused medical transport and was taken to a local hospital by his wife, Fire Rescue Bureau Chief Daniel Harshburger said.
That’s three shark attacks in two days. Apparently it’s shark migration time in Florida or something.
Lifeguards at Santa Cruz, California’s Waddell Creek have posted warning signs advising surfers to stay out of the water after a Great White shark was observed attacking an elephant seal about 150 out on Sunday, March 11, 2012, according to a story in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Rangers determined the attack was not a “direct threat” to humans in part because it was outside the surf zone. As a precaution, they plan to keep the signs posted through the weekend. . . “It was a normal interaction with a seal and a shark,” said Terry Kaiser, supervising State Parks ranger for Año Nuevo State Park. “It’s not uncommon for sharks to be in the area.”
No, it is not. But still, it would be difficult to walk past those signs and paddle out.
Surfer Valeh Levy and her daughter Sydney, 15, were out longboarding south of the jetty in Florida’s shark bite capital of the world New Smyrna Beach when Levy saw her daughter get pulled under, according to a story on ClickOrlando.com.
“To me is was like a scene out of ‘Jaws,’ where the girl is getting sucked under. I said, ‘There is no way this thing is going to kill my daughter.’ I grabbed her shoulders and I pulled her up and threw her on the nose of my board,” Levy said. . . She said the shark continued swimming around them as they called out for help to two nearby surfers who assisted them to shore.
When they got to shore an ambulance was already there assisting 17-year-old surfer Nick Romano with his shark bite. “Every surfer thinks one day they will get bit by a shark,” Romano said. “Well, today was my day.”
Surfer Peter Garrett (not of Midnight Oil fame it seems) was hit by a shark while surfing near dusk off the Taranaki Coast of New Zealand, according to a story on Stuff.Co.Nz.
Matt Thomas and James Bruce, who work as vets in Manaia and Eltham respectively, were surfing nearby when they saw and heard Mr Garrett panicking. . . “I heard him shrieking, he was freaking out and thrashing around,” Mr Bruce said. “He kind of kicked it off him and went in on the next couple of waves and went straight for the rocks.”
The vets saw Garrett shake off the shark and paddle in. The shark then began circling the men. They reportedly decided that it might be time to paddle in and offer some assistance. They bandaged Garrett up, took a picture, and sent him to the doctors. Luckily, everyone appears to have survived.
Glen “Lenny” Folkard, a 44-year-old surfer was “dragged from his board and mauled” by a seven foot long shark on Wednesday, Janaury 18, 2012 while surfing Australia’s Redhead Beach, according to a story in the Sydney Morning Herald.
More than 100 people were in the water when the shark attacked. Witnesses in the surf said Mr Folkard was lying on his board about 20 metros from a large group of surfers when the shark struck about 4.40pm. . . Believed to be a bull shark, it took a large chunk out of Mr Folkard’s thigh as well as his board before dragging him underwater, witnesses said.
After Folkard got free he was able to surface where other surfers reportedly helped him catch a wave in. The man is currently in stable condition with a “deep wound to an upper thigh. For the rest of the story click the link.
Oahu, Hawaii fishermen Addison Toki and Dominick Gaballo had just pulled in a 300 pound Marlin about five miles outside Yokohama Bay on Oahu’s west side when they noticed a fin beginning to circle their boat, according to a story on KITV.com.
“As it got closer and saw just the size and features, we knew it was a Great White,” said Gaballo. . . 18 years ago, Toki says he saw a Great White Shark on the North Shore, but that it doesn’t compare to this recent encounter. He estimates the shark was about 15 feet long. . . “I see all types of sharks but when you see one like that it’s like wow. I’m blown away,” said Toki.
The shark reportedly circle the board for about a hour and several times came up to nibble on the boats prop. At one point the videographer says: “If I wasn’t tired I jump on the buggers back. Maybe next time.” As the blog Board as Fuck said, “Best commentary ever.”
Ngidi Msungubana, a 25-year-old surfer from Port St. Johns, South Africa died yesterday (January 15, 2012) after being hit repeatedly by a shark that he battled with for nearly five minutes at Second Beach, according to a story in the Daily Mail.
Provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said: ‘The man was surfing and was in water which was only around a metro and a half deep when the shark struck. . . ‘Witnesses who were near him at the time said he wrestled with the shark for around five minutes as the water turned red. . . ‘A fellow surfer then helped a lifeguard to get the man out of the sea and onto the beach. . . “There happened to be a doctor on the beach who helped to treat the man at the scene, and an ambulance then arrived to take him to hospital. . . ‘However the surfer had been bitten on both of his arms and his stomach and he sadly died on the way to the medical facility.’
A 28-year-old Australian surfer was hit by a shark while surfing Tuesday evening (January 3, 2012) at NSW’s North Avoca Beach, according to a story in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Paramedics said the man felt his arm being pulled under his surfboard. . . The man was treated for puncture wounds to his forearm and wrist, and was taken to Gosford Hospital about 9pm yesterday. . . A hospital spokesman said the man was in a satisfactory condition, and doctors would assess his condition today.
According to witnesses, “The shark got on his board and just took a chunk out of his arm. I saw there was blood all over the man’s surfboard. We could see the bone and the arteries so it was really quite deep.” Authorities believe the shark may have been a bronze whaler. Other reports suggest great whites have been patrolling the area as well.
Eric Tarantino, a Monterey, California surfer, who was attacked by a shark in October while surfing at Marina State Beach is now reliving the story for the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
“The first few seconds seem to happen in slow motion,” recounted Tarantino, who had only been in the water for a few minutes when he was attacked about 150 yards offshore at about 7 a.m. on Oct. 29. “I was still half asleep because I literally had just rolled out of bed about 20 minutes earlier. When it happened, when the shark hit me, it was kind of surreal, but I didn’t really feel scared.”
The shark pulled him under and when he finally got free and saw all the blood in the water, that’s when he got scared.
“I managed to get back on my board and started paddling, and that’s when I noticed my arm was bleeding,” he said. “I wasn’t feeling any pain at that point — I’m sure I was already in shock and probably gone into overdrive a little bit. I started paddling in, moving slowly, seeing all the blood in the water and realizing that if he decided to come back and get me, there would be nothing I could do about it. That’s when it became really scary.”
We have to admit–stories of escaping from the jaws of a shark are our favorite shark attack stories and we’re glad Tarantino is still around to tell it. Click the link to read the rest.
Billy O’Leary, a 20-year-old surfer from Mermaid Beach, Australia was bitten by a shark today while surfing Nobbys Beach on the Gold Coast after landing a floater on to the bull shark’s back, according to a story in the Courier Mail.
