An Australian surfer escaped a close call with a shark. And there’s a terrifying video to prove it.
Multiple reports say that early Monday morning, a surfer in New South Wales was attacked but avoided injury. The same cannot be said for his surfboard, though. In multiple posts online, videos and photos show a huge chunk of the board missing. The big chomp also cracked the surfboard in half. Miraculously, the surfer avoided injury.
The lucky surfer posed for photos with the board as beachgoers surrounded him to see the results of a shark bite.
The video quickly went viral. Even surfing legend Kelly Slater commented on the close call with a shark. He commented on one of the videos of the incident and said, “Incredible he’s ok. Great example of why I fear open ocean swimming so much. Surfboards have saved quite a few surfers with that tiny barrier.”
Witnesses nearby claim to have seen a 12-foot great white shark in the area.
The Tweed Shire Council, which is the local government, shut down the beach as a result of the attack. They plan to keep an eye out for the shark before reopening. They use drones to search for sharks in the area.
Close Calls with Sharks
Reports say the same surf spot, Cabarita Beach, saw a teen attacked and severely injured just a few months ago. Video from that incident showed sharks swimming in the area before the teen was pulled under. Hospital staff say he had severe injuries to his arm, but was said to be otherwise okay.
While shark attacks often make headlines, they are still fairly rare.
However, maybe unsurprisingly, Australia is one of the countries that sees the most shark attacks. The International Shark Attack File documents attacks from around the world. They said that in 2024, Australia had nine attacks. Fortunately, none of them was fatal. The U.S. had the most attacks at 24, but the country has more than 12 times the population of Australia.
Either way, the video is a good reminder that the ocean is shared with lots of creatures.