Shark Stories

yorkessurfer's picture
yorkessurfer started the topic in Monday, 29 Oct 2012 at 12:11am

A few interesting stories on shark attacks and near misses on the Shark Shield report so I thought I would start this thread. Don't want to trivialize the subject as people have had their lives taken or changed forever by what can happen. I thought it might serve as an educational purpose by hearing others experiences so we may all learn from them and hopefully avoid it happening to us.

One of them was a mate of mine named Hazey.
He had been surfing at Castles, a notoriously sharky wave in the bay at Cactus.
Several hundred metres offshore the wave breaks before reforming into Inside Castles making a long left with several sections. The wave has been the scene of several attacks and near misses over the years including the local known as "Sharkbait" who had been attacked more than once.
Gerry Lopez is another who came very close to being attacked out there and vowed to never surf Cactus again after his near miss.
Well Hazey was surfing out the back with another bloke named Steve when out of the blue he was launched into the air still on his board by a huge force from below.
A shark had rammed him with a direct hit straight up into the air! In a moment it was gone but soon returned to the stunned Hazey and started biting him and his board. Hazey instinctively put his arms out to protect himself but both his arms ended up in its mouth. As the jaws closed down his arms could have easily been severed, but several teeth on the sharks lower jaw had become dislodged and imbedded in the board leaving his upper arms with massive injuries, but the vital inner arms where major arteries run were not majorly damaged. This probably saved his life.
By this time Steve had reacted and in a rush of adrenalin and pure ballsy courage he threw himself onto the sharks back and started gouging at the sharks eyeballs, eventually feeling one pop and the shark departed.
Steve got the two surfboards together and got himself and Hazey on and started the long paddle to shore.
Then they were both thrown into the air as the shark rammed them a third time before disappearing again. They continued to make their way closer to shore and the shark nudged them again. Steve told me he thought he really must of pissed it off when he popped its eye.
Finally they we're just a metre from shore when the shark made its fifth and final appearance. It beelined towards them and the shore while they stood in waist deep water with their boards. The sharks mouth was just rapidly opening and closing like one of those wind up sets of false teeth. The boys separated and put their hands on either side of it's body and held it on a 90 degree angle to the beach as they made the final steps to the safety of the sand.
Hazey was rushed to Ceduna hospital and then flown to Adelaide for micro surgery on his shredded arms.
Steve ended up receiving a bravery award and they both sold their story to 60 minutes and made $50,000 each out of it!
It was quite a story!

burleigh's picture
burleigh's picture
burleigh Wednesday, 28 Dec 2022 at 7:41pm
etarip wrote:

Go on mate - put your money where you mouth is. You’ve just said that the conspiracy theories turn out to be true. Lay them out.

“You’re all the same / causing the divide / driving hate”

You’re driving hate yourself here fella.

Calm down. Take a shower. ;)

Jab stops Transmission, 2 jabs only, vaccine injuries being under reported, social media silencing experts, covid deaths being over reported (with covid not from covid) want me to go on?

etarip's picture
etarip's picture
etarip Wednesday, 28 Dec 2022 at 8:04pm

“Died with Covid” hasn’t exactly been suppressed has it? I remember that being reported from the NY surge early on.

Silencing experts? Yet, the message gets out. Great silencing from the the deep state.

Yeah, carry on.

burleigh's picture
burleigh's picture
burleigh Wednesday, 28 Dec 2022 at 8:13pm
etarip wrote:

“Died with Covid” hasn’t exactly been suppressed has it? I remember that being reported from the NY surge early on.

Silencing experts? Yet, the message gets out. Great silencing from the the deep state.

Yeah, carry on.

Hit the showers mate, you’re done

etarip's picture
etarip's picture
etarip Wednesday, 28 Dec 2022 at 8:29pm

Minor truths brah. Sleep tight.

tlearyus's picture
tlearyus's picture
tlearyus Thursday, 5 Jan 2023 at 9:59am
AndyM wrote:
tlearyus wrote:
AndyM wrote:

What a weird article.

What's odd is no other local news outlets, newspapers, radio or TV have covered the story.

Really?
A 30 second search shows that the Macleay Argus ran a story six days ago, as did the Daily Tele.

Yeah great media coverage - one subscriber only article!

AndyM's picture
AndyM's picture
AndyM Thursday, 5 Jan 2023 at 10:03am

So what does that mean to you?

AlfredWallace's picture
AlfredWallace's picture
AlfredWallace Saturday, 7 Jan 2023 at 7:43pm
bluediamond wrote:

Jeeeez!! Spooky and lucky outcome!
Didn't even hear about this one.
A couple of points, that have come up alot in the above thread..
He fainted the day before but never normally faints "the universe was trying to tell me something"
The shark had been seen (by him) the day or days before. How often you hear of a shark that's been in the area before an attack.
Just before the race began he had that dark feeling in the gut of his stomach and felt complete fear. Alot of people have experienced that in this thread and then had a shark encounter.
Also they're over 500m off the beach. So often on the Adelaide and Perth metro coastlines the attacks happen out on that shark highway.
Obviously there's a billion exceptions to these commonalities, but they do seem to come up more often than not in attacks and encounters . something to be aware of.
Glad he's ok and all are safe. Would have been bloody traumatic for them all.

Bluediamond. I have a completely different and probably not a popular view of that shark encounter.
That guy on the ocean ski just completely exonerated himself from the entire situation of helping others when in need. Totally worried only about himself . I understand everyone is individually specific but really. My impression is that he put way more energy into making that video footage than actually helping his so called club ‘mate’. And they call themselves ‘Life Savers’.

mitchvg's picture
mitchvg's picture
mitchvg Saturday, 7 Jan 2023 at 11:04pm

Alfred Wallace you missed the part where he said he was saving his energy to "fight the shark if it came to that".

AlfredWallace's picture
AlfredWallace's picture
AlfredWallace Sunday, 8 Jan 2023 at 6:52am

mitchvg. Hi mate. Didn’t look like much energy conservation going on in that video, he was paddling flat chat to the beach. He even mentioned seeing the group of ‘mates’ attending the victim and still kept paddling past them at speed towards the beach, still something corny about the whole video . The video became about him and not the circumstances of the victim, the constant referencing about his kids and then the quote “ I’m never ocean racing again “, despite being in the surf club for 15 years, quirky comments from someone who has probably had all types of sea life pass under him.
I still have a weird feeling about the whole story. Just my opinion.

Supafreak's picture
Supafreak's picture
Supafreak Sunday, 8 Jan 2023 at 5:58pm

Just dropped in for a spot of sunbathing on the deck https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0MxhR3bJk1We2dzj2kHDWTn...

AlfredWallace's picture
AlfredWallace's picture
AlfredWallace Sunday, 8 Jan 2023 at 6:19pm
Supafreak wrote:

Just dropped in for a spot of sunbathing on the deck https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0MxhR3bJk1We2dzj2kHDWTn...

Supafreak. How’s things ? Who needs hooks ???

Supafreak's picture
Supafreak's picture
Supafreak Sunday, 8 Jan 2023 at 7:17pm
AlfredWallace wrote:
Supafreak wrote:

Just dropped in for a spot of sunbathing on the deck https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0MxhR3bJk1We2dzj2kHDWTn...

Supafreak. How’s things ? Who needs hooks ???

I’m good thanks AW , plenty of waves lately , all the best in 2023

suchas's picture
suchas's picture
suchas Monday, 9 Jan 2023 at 8:30am
blackers's picture
blackers's picture
blackers Monday, 9 Jan 2023 at 8:39am
suchas wrote:

No mention of sharks in the water but you will soon be able to buy $100 tees and $200 shorts- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-09/crescent-head-development-prompt-...

https://ksubi.com.au/collections/mens/products/4x4-biggie-ss-tee-white-o...

Ah that’s no good. Another one bites the dust.

Edit: Oh and that clip from Supa was astounding.

AndyM's picture
AndyM's picture
AndyM Monday, 9 Jan 2023 at 8:46am

OMG, yay, it's just everything you want and need in a small Australian coastal town!

On the other hand, "Coastal villages are under threat everywhere, the ethos, the history of village lifestyle that makes up the north coast of NSW," he said.

"We have an incredible surge of traffic and people this summer, a huge volume of illegal campers, our water is under threat, our sewerage is under threat and parking is over the top."

The link below is obviously not just the future, it's now.

"Council tells tourists to stay away from Seal Rocks as town overwhelmed by visitors, heavy traffic"

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-30/nsw-holiday-town-seal-rocks-visit...

andy-mac's picture
andy-mac's picture
andy-mac Monday, 9 Jan 2023 at 9:18am
suchas wrote:

No mention of sharks in the water but you will soon be able to buy $100 tees and $200 shorts- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-09/crescent-head-development-prompt-...

https://ksubi.com.au/collections/mens/products/4x4-biggie-ss-tee-white-o...

$100 for shitty T -shirt ... Fark...

velocityjohnno's picture
velocityjohnno's picture
velocityjohnno Wednesday, 11 Jan 2023 at 6:57pm

Hi Nan, here is a pic of our holiday trip to the beach, much love, the kids:

https://7news.com.au/news/vic/terrifying-detail-in-background-of-innocen...

(photo is pretty epic)

it seems the Tigers are in really close in Perth waters currently:

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/large-tiger-shark-spotted-close...

anyone know why? beyond "it's summer, they are hungry..."

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Saturday, 28 Jan 2023 at 9:12am
seeds's picture
seeds's picture
seeds Sunday, 29 Jan 2023 at 11:07am

‘impressively ripping off his head’
Curious use of words!

seeds's picture
seeds's picture
seeds Saturday, 4 Feb 2023 at 11:03pm

Scary stuff. Must be so traumatising for the friends that witnessed it and the family. Big ups to the guy that dived in to help. R.I.P. young lady.
Anyone know how far upstream this is. Clear or murky water there?

wax24's picture
wax24's picture
wax24 Saturday, 4 Feb 2023 at 11:05pm

Made me sad to read that, Udo. RIP young lady.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Saturday, 4 Feb 2023 at 11:14pm

RIP - Very Sad
Only yesterday i saw a pic of a Stingray with huge bite marks from Swan River

wax24's picture
wax24's picture
wax24 Sunday, 5 Feb 2023 at 12:09am

Do they put up signs at this point? Are folks allowed to swim there? Just curious... no opinion or axe to grind...

seeds's picture
seeds's picture
seeds Thursday, 16 Feb 2023 at 8:06pm

Yeah nah
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-16/large-crocodile-shot-mackay-stalk...
My non surfing mate from Brisbane lives here and two of his sons are frothers. This is surf season there with the crocs and stingers

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Thursday, 16 Feb 2023 at 8:29pm
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot Thursday, 16 Feb 2023 at 8:44pm
udo wrote:

Reminded me of this
https://www.itemfix.com/v?t=meuw6m

Fuck how evil did that thing look! I’m going to have night mares tonight now

seeds's picture
seeds's picture
seeds Thursday, 16 Feb 2023 at 11:16pm
goofyfoot wrote:
udo wrote:

Reminded me of this
https://www.itemfix.com/v?t=meuw6m

Fuck how evil did that thing look! I’m going to have night mares tonight now

Evil and very big!!!

velocityjohnno's picture
velocityjohnno's picture
velocityjohnno Friday, 17 Feb 2023 at 8:03am

A follow up to the tragic Freo attack on the Swan, a young fisherman reeled in this:

https://7news.com.au/news/sharks/perth-teen-reels-in-huge-swan-river-bul...

So up near the bridges and Port, you get quite a bit of ocean influence. Being a river, bull sharks as well. There's actually a Swan River Whaler too, one did a drive-by of the jetty we were fishing in Peppy Grove when we were little kids, dad tried to catch it by jagging it with a handline (would have pulled him in lol). Teen rite-of passage in that area is the Blackwall Reach jump into water which is pretty deep near the cliffs.

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Friday, 17 Feb 2023 at 9:05am

Jeez, that's solid!

wax24's picture
wax24's picture
wax24 Saturday, 18 Feb 2023 at 1:43am

Hey VJ. One time, quite a long time ago, i was sponging up in Oregon in the rain, with my wife. A fisherman showed up, and threw out his line right in our vicinity. Pissed me off, as we were already at the high end of the risk/reward assessment with the rain, and he had a whole, long beach.
My question, all these years later, is were we in the wrong? Just getting in the water in the rain where the fishing might be good? (we didn't stop to think about any of it). What is the etiquette here between spongos and fishos? I am just curious.

scoopmaster's picture
scoopmaster's picture
scoopmaster Saturday, 18 Feb 2023 at 6:59am

Wax24 - I have done a lot of beach fishing. I tend not to arrive at the beach until just before sunset for a couple of reasons: 1) too many surfers/swimmers/dog walkers before then 2) I rarely catch much before sunset anyway.
I’m generally casting heavy sinkers and large baits, which doesn’t mix well with other people. I won’t set up where there’s already other people in the water, but once I’m there fishing I’ll also suggest anyone arriving go elsewhere.
If I was just fishing small baits and light sinkers it would be a non issue. Edit there’s always better spots on the beach for fishing, just like surfing. I tend to look for a rip and deep water to cast into. If I try to fish on a shallow sandbank there’s a high chance of a side current pulling my baits down the beach, so it’s not as simple as “there’s a mile of beach, fish somewhere else”

wax24's picture
wax24's picture
wax24 Saturday, 18 Feb 2023 at 7:55pm

Thanx, Scoop.

seeds's picture
seeds's picture
seeds Wednesday, 22 Feb 2023 at 1:18pm

Some big bities in our river also. It really is surprising there is next to no encounters
https://apple.news/AifwU6AcMStiPPK5DQ_9mSw

seeds's picture
seeds's picture
seeds Thursday, 9 Mar 2023 at 10:45am

Inspirational stuff. Makes you wonder if you’d have it in you to get back on the horse like Brett has done.
I’ll be giving it a watch tonight.

suchas's picture
suchas's picture
suchas Thursday, 9 Mar 2023 at 6:02pm

Another good news survival story- Rodney Fox. Surviving a huge bite and using Val Taylor’s lipstick to paint bullet holes on a great white! https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/conversations/putting-lipstick-on-...

the_b's picture
the_b's picture
the_b Thursday, 9 Mar 2023 at 7:51pm
cd's picture
cd's picture
cd Friday, 10 Mar 2023 at 11:27am

Hearing stories of a well known surfer getting hit by a large white in the Forster area. Luckily, he was unscathed - physically.
Basically, another attack in the area. Gone unreported though with no injuries sustained.

seeds's picture
seeds's picture
seeds Friday, 10 Mar 2023 at 1:15pm
suchas wrote:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-09/shark-attack-survivor-brett-conne...

Watched it last night. Great doco. Seems like a great guy. Proved em wrong and now the experts have a greater knowledge.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Tuesday, 14 Mar 2023 at 4:31pm
cd wrote:

Hearing stories of a well known surfer getting hit by a large white in the Forster area. Luckily, he was unscathed - physically.
Basically, another attack in the area.
Gone unreported though with no injuries sustained.

That needs to put out there..
Dorsal Watch every fkn where - What's with the Secrecy?

suchas's picture
suchas's picture
suchas Tuesday, 14 Mar 2023 at 5:02pm

Coastal property prices

udo wrote:
cd wrote:

Hearing stories of a well known surfer getting hit by a large white in the Forster area. Luckily, he was unscathed - physically.
Basically, another attack in the area.
Gone unreported though with no injuries sustained.

That needs to put out there..
Dorsal Watch every fkn where - What's with the Secrecy?

AlfredWallace's picture
AlfredWallace's picture
AlfredWallace Tuesday, 14 Mar 2023 at 6:10pm
wax24 wrote:

Thanx, Scoop.

Wax24. Hi. How’s things ?

I agree, what is that all about, this rocking up right next to another person/s be it a fishermen, surfer, sponger, kelper , camper, hiker etc. ?

In 2005 travelling with friends in cars and with little kids en route from Phoenix Arizona to San Clemente to surf for a fortnight. Stopped halfway in Joshua Tree National Park, epic place night and day, coyotes howling in the evening and morning etc. We chose a very remote location so as to be alone to camp off in the boon dogs, especially with little ones. Didn’t want to piss anybody off. Come dusk one evening a Winnebago rocks up with an elderly Dutch couple on board, set up camp right on top of us, WTF. When they climbed out of the vehicle they were both nude, gross. They had this enormous park covering hundreds of square kilometres but chose to lobb on our doorstep . I know us humans are meant to be social animals but how social? This was taking it way too far. AW

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Wednesday, 15 Mar 2023 at 7:55am

yes that 'incident' at Forster was with Brett Burcher and from what ive been told hes a very lucky man and it was a GW and supposedly someone filmed the incident .On the media thing above that shark is a Grey Nurse and not dangerous to surfers and a media beat up.

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Wednesday, 15 Mar 2023 at 8:44am

Yeah caught on drone eh, be fairly traumatic.

burleigh's picture
burleigh's picture
burleigh Wednesday, 15 Mar 2023 at 12:20pm
udo wrote:
cd wrote:

Hearing stories of a well known surfer getting hit by a large white in the Forster area. Luckily, he was unscathed - physically.
Basically, another attack in the area.
Gone unreported though with no injuries sustained.

That needs to put out there..
Dorsal Watch every fkn where - What's with the Secrecy?

It's not the first time a shark attack has not reached the media.

goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot Wednesday, 15 Mar 2023 at 1:43pm
simba wrote:

yes that 'incident' at Forster was with Brett Burcher and from what ive been told hes a very lucky man and it was a GW and supposedly someone filmed the incident .On the media thing above that shark is a Grey Nurse and not dangerous to surfers and a media beat up.

So what happened? It gave him a bump and swam off or more?