Tag: Shark Attack

Shark leaps out of water and bites parasailer in bizarre attack

Video shows a shark leaping out of the water and biting a tandem parasailer as he hovered just above the surface of the Red Sea off Jordan.

A tandem parasailer hovering just above the water surface of the Red Sea sustained injuries when a shark leaped out of the water and bit his foot in a bizarre attack in the Gulf of Aqaba.

The incident occurred last Friday off the Jordanian port city of Aqaba, as reported by the Daily Mail and The U.S. Sun.

The 37-year-old Jordan man, who wasn’t identified, was taken to Prince Hashem Military Hospital where he underwent an operation on his right foot. He lost part of the back of his foot and suffered severed tendons, torn muscles and broken bones. He was listed as stable.

The Sun tweeted video of the shark attack.

“The shark attack garnered a lot of media attention; truthfully, it scared a lot of people, but this is something that can take place anywhere,” Mohammad Qatawneh of the Aqaba International Diver Center told the Jordan News, according to the Daily Mail.

“I’ve been diving for 20 years and this is the first time I’ve heard of a shark attack.”

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Mohammed Khalil Al Zabada of the College of Marine Sciences, told Gulf News, “Sharks are found in all the seas of the world, and in the Red Sea there are many types of sharks, but their presence in the Aqaba region is very rare.”

More from Gulf News:

Meanwhile, Nayef Al Bakhit, head of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, announced that a committee was formed to investigate information circulating about citizens being attacked by a shark in Aqaba Friday evening.

“The committee will issue a detailed statement about what happened as soon as they complete the investigation,” Al Bakhit emphasised.

Regarding news about sharks attacking a boat, Bakhit said that ASEZA was not informed and no sharks were seen in the Gulf of Aqaba on Sunday, the day after the man was attacked.

The Daily Mail reported that several people have been attacked by sharks in the Red Sea in the past year, though farther south, off the Egyptian coast.

It was not known what kind shark was involved in the attack on the parasailer.

Shark bites Boy Scout kayaker at Catalina Island

A teenage boy was bitten by a shark Wednesday while kayaking with his father at Santa Catalina Island.

A 15-year-old boy was bitten by a shark Wednesday while kayaking with his father at Santa Catalina Island.

The boy, who was participating in a Boy Scouts of America youth camping trip, was airlifted to a local hospital in stable condition, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

His father was not injured.

The incident occurred just after 7 a.m. near Parson’s Landing. The boy apparently reached into the water after the kayak was bumped, L.A. County Fire Department Lifeguards explained in a tweet.

It was not clear what type of shark was involved, but juvenile great white sharks are feeding off Southern California and have been known to bump floating objects in an investigatory manner.

Chris Lowe, who runs the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, told For The Win Outdoors that juvenile white sharks tagged off Southern California sometimes end up off Catalina.

L.A. County Fire Department Lifeguards described the incident by stating, “The patient and their father were kayaking near Parson’s Landing when their boat was bumped by what is believed to be a shark of unknown size and type.

“During the encounter, the patient reached their hand into the water and was bit by the animal.”

CBS News reported that the victim was a 15-year-old boy on a youth camping adventure.

Lifeguards closed the area to ocean activity for at least 24 hours.

–Generic great white shark image courtesy of ©Pete Thomas

Northern California swimmer attacked by great white shark

A 35-year-old man was hospitalized in serious condition Saturday after being bitten by a great white shark during a morning swim south of San Francisco.

A 35-year-old man was hospitalized in serious condition Saturday after being bitten by a great white shark during a morning swim south of San Francisco.

The San Mateo Sheriff’s Office announced via Twitter that the man was swimming at Gray Whale Cove State Beach when a shark measuring 6 to 8 feet bit him on the right leg.

The incident occurred at 9:15 a.m. and first responders were on the scene shortly thereafter, according to Cal Fire.

ABC News reported that the victim was able to swim to shore, where he was treated by paramedics before being transported to Stanford Hospital.

Gray Whale Cove State Beach, between Pacifica and Montara and about 20 miles south of San Francisco, was ordered closed to ocean activity for 48 hours. Montara State Beach also was closed.

A 6- to 8-foot great white shark would be a juvenile.

–Gray Whale Cove State Beach image is generic

Harrowing moments for father and son as shark attacks kayak

A Maui father-and-son survived a harrowing encounter with a large shark Tuesday as they kayaked together off the island’s west side.

A Maui father-and-son survived a harrowing encounter with a large shark Tuesday as they kayaked together off the island’s west side.

Daniel and Tristan Sullivan were searching for whales when the shark – possibly a great white shark – bit and thrashed their kayak, spilling them into the water.

“When its mouth rose up and bit into the kayak, it was like a scene out of a movie,” Daniel Sullivan, the father, told Hawaii News Now. “The water streaming off of it, these giant teeth coming right at us, and then the way it just pushed the entire boat up halfway and pulled us back down into the water.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CK0pdPJD3f3/

Both kayakers swam toward shore for about 35 minutes as the shark continued to bite their kayak. The paddlers were not injured.

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Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources issued a statement regarding the incident:

“Just before 2 p.m., a father and son reported to the Maui Dispatch Center that they were kayaking in the 1000 Peaks area (Ukumehame), when a shark attacked their boat. They fell overboard when the kayak sank, and they were able to safely swim to shore.

“They reported the shark as a ten-foot tiger shark. Personnel from DAR and DOCARE officers are now attempting to get more information from the pair.”

Tiger sharks are most often implicated in attacks on humans and/or their kayaks and surfboards in Hawaiian waters. However, the Sullivans said this shark’s snout was pointier than the more rounded snouts of tiger sharks.

Great white sharks are rare in Hawaii, but adult white sharks from the U.S. and Mexico migrate as far west as Hawaii during the fall and winter. Bite marks visible on the bottom of the kayak appear to be from a large shark.

Tristan Sullivan, 15, described the encounter via Instagram:

“Today my dad and I were out kayaking when a massive shark bit our kayak and flipped us into the water we tried to get back into it but it was taking on water fast and we kept falling back into the water. At the time we were about a mile out and eventually we had to leave our kayak and start swimming in knowing the whole time the shark could be right behind us thankfully we made it back safe.”

The DNLR closed beaches in the area and they were set to reopen Wednesday at noon.

–Image showing bite marks on the kayak is courtesy of Tristan Sullivan

Maui surfer dies after shark attack; pro competition to relocate

A recreational surfer who was attacked by a shark Tuesday morning off Maui, forcing postponement of a women’s pro surfing contest, has died from his injuries.

A recreational surfer who was attacked by a shark Tuesday off Maui, forcing postponement of a women’s pro surfing contest, has died from his injuries.

The 56-year-old Lahaina man, whose identity had not been released as of Thursday afternoon, was bitten while paddling out in Honolua Bay before the scheduled 10 a.m. start of the second day of the Maui Pro.

Maui Memorial Medical Center confirmed late Wednesday that the man had succumbed to his injuries, according to multiple reports.

The World Surf League announced Wednesday that the Maui Pro would not resume at Honolua Bay. WSL organizers were working with authorities to find an alternate location in Hawaii.

–Top image showing Honolua Bay is courtesy of Travis Thurston; image showing the large bite mark on the victim’s surfboard is courtesy of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

Shark attack off Maui halts women’s pro surfing competition

A shark attack on a recreational surfer Tuesday off Maui forced the postponement of the a women’s pro surfing competition.

A shark attack on a recreational surfer Tuesday off Maui forced the postponement of a women’s pro surfing competition.

The surfer, a 56-year-old man who was rushed to the hospital for surgery after the incident, was not involved in the competition.

The attack occurred in Honolua Bay before the scheduled 10 a.m. start of the second day of the Maui Pro, a top-tier World Surf League women’s competition.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the WSL announced that “The competition is on hold until further notice.”

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources issued a statement that reads, in part: “The DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) reports that a 56-year-old man from Lahaina was paddling out from the old ramp in the bay.

“It is unknown if others were in the water and DOCARE now reports that water clarity was good. The man was taken to the hospital and admitted for surgery.”

Honolua Bay Shark Incident, Dec. 8, 2020 from Hawaii DLNR on Vimeo.

The agency placed warning signs at Honolua Bay up to one mile on either side of where the attack occurred. The signs were to remain in place until at least noon Wednesday.

Ocean Safety officers searched the area for shark activity throughout most of Tuesday.

The unidentified man was paddling out from the old boat ramp at the bay when he encountered the shark, which bit a large chunk from his surfboard.

The shark species was not identified,  but tiger sharks are often implicated in these types of attacks in Hawaiian waters.

The crescent-shaped bite mark on the man’s surfboard measured nearly 17 inches.

–Images and video courtesy of Hawaii DNLR

Police fire at shark after fatal attack on bodyboarder

A shark attack Sunday claimed the life of a bodyboarder at Cable Beach in the Western Australian town of Broome.

A shark attack Sunday morning claimed the life of a bodyboarder at Cable Beach in the Western Australian town of Broome.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the unidentified man was about 80 yards offshore when the shark bit his thigh and right hand. A couple that witnessed the attack swam out and pulled the man to shore, but he could not be saved.

Police fired several shots at the shark, which remained offshore in murky water for about 30 minutes. Some locals guessed that it was a tiger shark.

Broome, Western Australia

ABC Australia reported that the man was a local resident in his 50s, and that news of the incident shocked the tight-knit community.

Mark McGowan, Western Australia’s Premier, said in a statement: “It’s a traumatic and unexpected event and so I’d just like to pass all of our thoughts on to the people who love the man who has passed away. [It’s a] very, very sad day for Broome.”

Broome, a resort town about 1,000 miles north or Perth, is a popular fishing destination and several types of sharks have been spotted in area waters. But attacks on swimmers are rare, and the last fatal attack off Broome occurred in 1993.

Authorities estimated the shark to measure about 8 feet.

–Shark image is generic 

Kayak fisherman’s ill-advised move invites shark attack

A kayak fisherman fought off a great white shark that chomped down on his boat 30 seconds after unintentionally prompting the attack.

A kayak fisherman off Northern California fought off a great white shark that chomped down on his boat moments after he bled out a fish he had just caught, evidently unintentionally inviting the shark attack by doing so.

Michael Thallheimer Jr. of Eureka was camping in Shelter Cove in Southern Humboldt County when he decided to go fishing by himself Monday morning around 6:15, according to the North Coast Journal and Lost Coast Outpost.

“I had caught two small ling cod and then caught a large one about 36 inches or so,” Thallheimer told North Coast Journal. “I put it on my fish clip. I cut through the gills and it pumps all the blood out. As soon as I did that, it wasn’t 30 seconds after, that [the shark] attacked.

“All of a sudden, it was attached to the side of my kayak.”

He described it as a 16- to 18-foot great white shark.

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“I saw a nose and an eyeball with no soul,” he told the Journal. “That animal doesn’t give a [darn] … [The shark bit] right in the middle of the kayak directly next to my knee and thigh, about 6 inches away.

“I slapped the thing as hard as I could on the end of its nose.”

It was enough to prompt the shark to let go. It then whipped its tail hard, hitting the kayak.

“It gave me a good thump, [but] it didn’t damage the kayak. I think he was pretty scared. He turned and split as fast as it could.”

Thallheimer immediately headed for shore, pedaling with his feet. Then he suddenly realized “the paddle was not there.” He told the Journal the shark had bitten through the rope that held the paddle to the kayak, so he circled around to retrieve his paddle and headed in.

Halfway back to the harbor, Thallheimer realized his kayak was filling with water; the Journal reported the shark had bitten a hole in the side of the kayak. He phoned 911 but as he was talking, a wave rolled the kayak, sending him into the water and his phone and keys to the bottom of the ocean.

He scrambled to get back into the kayak only to have it roll again and again.

“Every time I would pull it right side up, it would flip over,” he told the Journal.

“[Eventually] I got off and held on to the side of it…I was in the water maybe 15 minutes…It never left my mind the whole time that [the shark] might be going to come back. I had a freshly killed fish dangling around my feet because it was clipped to my kayak…I kept telling myself, ‘Be calm. Panic is not going to do any good.’”

A radio attached to his lifejacket alerted him that help was on the way.

“Fishermen responded, pulled him into their boat and dragged his kayak back to the marina,” Shelter Cove Fire spokesperson Cheryl Antony told Lost Coast Outpost. “He was hypothermic but suffered no injuries.

“He said he was so scared when he realized his boat was sinking and he didn’t know where the shark was. He was thankful to be alive because it could have gone really bad to be out there all by himself. Anything could have happened.”

Photos of rescue of kayak fisherman and rope that shark bit through courtesy of Shelter Cove Fire. Generic images of kayak fisherman and great white shark courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

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Surfer punches shark; tense aftermath caught on video

A surfer in Australia said he punched a shark twice Friday to repel an attack, and the chaotic aftermath was captured on video.

A surfer in Australia said he punched a shark twice Friday to repel an attack, and the chaotic aftermath was captured on video.

Instagram footage by Graham Blade shows Dylan Nacass frantically screaming “Shark!” and later being accompanied toward shore by a fellow surfer as the shark looms nearby.

Nacass, who was bitten in the right thigh by an unknown type of shark, is clearly shaken in Blade’s footage. (We’ve attached a shorter 9News version, which highlights the shark’s location during the surfers’ paddle-in.)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akmtAvPAJvg]

The encounter occurred at Bells Beach in Victoria. Nacass, 23, who received four stitches at a local hospital, said the predator backed off after he threw his punches.

But the shark did not swim away.

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Matt Sedunary, who helped Nacass, told 9News that he thought for an instant that Nacass was joking, but quickly paddled to his aid. (Sedunary is wearing the brown wetsuit.)

“I’m not going to just ditch this guy, and most people would do the same thing,” Sedunary said.

Sedunary added that he did not realize the shark was trailing them until he viewed Blade’s footage.

Other surfers in the Instagram footage don’t seem to realize that a shark is in their midst and Blade, at one point, yells “Go in! Go in! Right behind ya! Orange board, come in! It’s right next to ya! It’s in that wave!”

After Nacass and Sedunary reached the shore, some of the surfers paddled back out and Blade told For The Win Outdoors that “a few more guys got bumped by the shark.”

Blade said that people who viewed the footage told him the 6-foot predator looked like sevengill shark. This species can be aggressive when provoked, but has been implicated in only five unprovoked attacks, according to the International Shark Attack File.

Nacass, who is from France, told 9News that he intends to surf gain “when my leg is okay.”

–Images are courtesy of Graham Blade

A swim to cool off turns tragic

After a day of work in the field, four Queensland Park and Wildlife rangers stopped to take a swim to cool off when a shark appeared.

After a day of work in the field, four Queensland Park and Wildlife rangers paused to take a swim to cool off at the southern Great Barrier Reef on Monday when events turned tragic.

As colleagues were returning to the boat ahead of him, Zach Robba, 23, was attacked by a shark and later died of the injuries after an emergency flight to the Gladstone hospital, according to the Australian Associated Press.

The rangers, whose work is to protect Australia’s national and marine parks, state forests and other reserves, had been doing maintenance work at North West Island, located 47 miles from Gladstone. Afterward, they went for a swim.

“They would have witnessed the attack,” Detective Senior Sergeant Tony Anderson told reporters Tuesday, referring to Robba’s colleagues. “There were four people swimming off the back of a boat, cooling down after a day’s work.”

Robba suffered severe injuries to his leg, hand and arm. It was the third shark attack off North West Island in three months, but the first resulting in a fatality.

The species of shark was unknown.

Iona College Old Boys’ Association, of which Robba was a member (class of 2014), shared the sad news on Facebook. Iona College’s Father Michael Twigg wrote, “This [being a ranger] was Zach’s dream job and he embraced all that it entailed…

“At this difficult time, we keep all Ionians in our prayers who are affected by this very sad loss.

“Every one of us has a Zach shaped hole in our heart. And each shape is unique.

“At the appropriate time we will be available to welcome all Old Boys to gather safely and give thanks for Zach’s life.”

Leeanne Enoch, the Minister for Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, told the Brisbane Times, “The ranger network is like a family and we have lost a brother today. I send my deepest condolences to his parents and loved ones.”

Photo of Vlassof Cay in the Great Barrier Reef courtesy of Mark Kolbe/Getty Images. Photo of shark courtesy of Wikipedia Commons. Photo of Zach Robba courtesy of Iona College.

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