Early this morning, a Suffolk Park surfer had a very lucky escape after being attacked by what is thought to have been a juvenile Great White shark while surfing at Iluka.
The surfer, who wishes to remain nameless to evade unwanted media attention, has escaped with lacerations and severe bruising after the incident, but judging by the photos is also sadly down a board and wetsuit.
Tracks talked to his good friend, who was with him in the lineup when the attack occurred.
“It was early, about six in the morning, he recalled. “We were probably about 50 metres apart and he was just laying on his board. We were watching a sick wave roll through and spit – we were both psyched. After the wave I looked back to my mate and I just saw him skimming across the water with all this splashing going on. After that he just started yelling, ‘Fuck off! Fuck off!’ over and over. Just yelling at the shark.
“I started paddling toward him as hard as I could, and luckily a set washed him in to where he could stand. Then the same happened to me. Once I could stand I just ran through the water to him and he told me a shark just came from nowhere and hit him. He thought the worst, because after the first hit, the shark came back again, but went for his broken board instead of him.
“We got to the shore and I helped him up the beach. He could still walk though, and he was relatively ok.
“It was just such a surreal moment, watching all that unfold and being able to give your mate a hug at the end of it. We just turned to each other asked, ‘did that just really happen?’
“From there I drove him to Hospital where they’re cleaned out the wound. It was a weird car trip that’s for sure.
“He’s pretty rattled, shaken up, and also badly bruised from where it hit him, but also very stoked to have his body in tact so that one day he’ll be able to surf again."
