It’s a video that has gone viral, a pro surfer narrowly escaping a shark attack in South Africa during a competition.
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Even back in Sydney, Fanning looked up at the roof of the cavernous basketball arena where the press conference was held, and swallowed hard a few times as Wilson recounted the story.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that it was “terrifying” to find that such a large shark could be so close to a competition. I just ran on instinct and knew that I had to get away from this thing.
“Someone was looking out for me, to walk away from a shark attack with not a scratch on you, it’s a miracle really”.
Fanning, a three-time world champion, said he was able to “get a punch into its back” and startle it.
“I’m just going to get home and get my head together”. I was on top of it, trying to put my board between us.
Fanning used social media to pay tribute to Wilson, who paddled towards him in actions that have earned an Australian state government nomination for a bravery award. “I went over to the television nearly as though I could pull him out … to save him”, she said.
Both men have said they will return to the water. Then he punched the back of the shark.
Fanning added jokingly, “thanks for not eating me”.
And as for Fanning’s thoughts about the shark that nearly took his life?
“Mick was probably lucky that there were a lot of people around him to help him out of the water as fast as possible”. “I was waiting for the enamel to arrive at me”, he reported. Mr. Wilson was also competing in the event and was in the water when he saw Fanning wrestle with the shark and then go under.
“I’ll surf again”, he said.
Like many I have watched every shark documentary that has been shown on television, but I have never seen anything like this.
Fanning was up against fellow Australian Julian Wilson in the final of the world surf league event at Jeffreys Bay when he was forced to fight off the great white. Because of that, they have each other’s backs. Fortunately on that occasion the animal just turned away. Everyone letting out shrieks and screams as the shark basically took Mick underwater at one point, ‘ the surfer’s manager Ronnie Blakey told Triple M.
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Julian Wilson was watching a nightmare unfold in slow motion and could do nothing to stop it happening.
