Australian Mick Fanning was attacked by a shark on Sunday during the JBay Open in Jeffrey’s Bay in the Eastern Cape Province but escaped without injuries.
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The last reported incident of a surfer being killed by a great white shark close to Jeffreys Bay was in 2013.
After being plucked to safety by a rescue boat, Fanning said he had felt something get stuck in his leg rope and “instantly jump away”. The bottom of his board was bright neon yellow, yum yum yellow, and I instantly remembered what my wife had told me.
Slater’s close friend said he “clearly saw a shark figure in a wave during the quarter-finals from a drone shot”, prompting the World Surf League organisers to reconsider the precautions in place to ensure surfers are safe whilst competing. I didn’t think much of it at the time, we’ve had several deadly shark attacks in our area lately and if she wanted to narrow her chances of getting eaten then it was cool with me.
Osborne said she believed Fanning’s brother Sean, who died in a vehicle accident 17 years ago, was watching over his sibling. “There’s a small depression in my board and my leg wrap (was) bitten”.
His mother Elizabeth Osborne is expecting an emotional homecoming after she watched the live broadcast of the attack.
Kong said he had seen hundreds of sharks while surfing, but nothing as scary as what Fanning experienced. I searched the area for about 40 minutes afterwards but the shark was nowhere to be seen. Safety boats quickly arrive and pluck Fanning from the water.
Yeppoon surfer and owner of Capricorn Coast Learn 2 Surf school Pat Eastwood said he was glad to see Mick made it out alive.
“I knew there was only one possible reason that would ever happen in a contest, and that’s if someone got attacked by a shark”, Slater said. I’m halfway between crying and laughing because he [Fanning] got so lucky.
WSL commissioner Kieren Perrow added: “We are incredibly grateful that no one was seriously injured today”.
“I just saw fins”.
“Sharks occasionally attack but most of the time they attack they don’t finish off their prey at all – they taste it and move on”, he said.
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Elsewhere, fellow pro surfers from around the globe were expressing their relief that Fanning had escaped unharmed.
