The great white shark is definitely not a surfer's best friend.
An Australian holidaymaker has been injured in a horrific shark attack off the coast of Western Australia where he had been surfing.
Michael Bedford had been surfing with his friend Lee Cummuskey, a local tourism operator, at Conspicuous Cliff near Walpole in Western Australia when he was attacked by what is believed to be a great white shark.
In what could have run like a take from a shark attack movie, the shark came up to Mr Bedford like s speeding bullet, knocking him off his surfboard before circling him and then sinking its powerful jaws into his leg. Mr Cummuskey , who had returned to the beach to fix a broken leg rope, witnessed the attack and managed, with the help of some local fishermen, to drag Mr Bedford back onto the beach.
Apparently the shark came straight towards the surfer and is described as being like a white pointer but “it had a bloody big head on it.” Mr Bedford says he managed to punch the shark before riding a wave into the shallows where he was rescued.
He suffered a horrific gash in his leg and it took eight people to carry him on a makeshift stretcher up the steep hill onto the carpark where they then had to wait a further half an hour for an ambulance to arrive, all the while blood was gushing from the wound.
He is now recovering in hospital and is said to be in a stable condition. In a statement released to the press Mr Bedford thanked his rescuers for their efforts and said he was extremely grateful to them.
White pointer sharks, also known as great whites, are generally not renowed for attacks on people, contrary to their ferocious images thanks to movies such as ‘Jaws’. They have been known to bite when feeling threatened and other theories about similar attacks state that surfboards may be confused for seals – their favourite meal.
Should you be thinking of taking a surfing holiday in Australia, don’t be put off by shark attack stories. Shark attacks are very rare and the Australian coastline is generally protected by shark nets and drum lines.
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