South African sharks are under the spotlight this weekend, after Mick Fanning was attacked by a shark in Jeffrey’s Bay this weekend.
Advertisement
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she had written to the state’s governor-general nominating the 26-year-old, a Queenslander, in recognition of his actions.
“At first I was just frozen”, the 26-year-old told media on Tuesday, safely back in Sydney, before he started paddling desperately in the direction of his idol Fanning in the hopes of rescuing him.
The champion surfer yelled at Wilson to get into shore, but Wilson, whom Fanning was also mentoring, paddled out towards the danger, desperate to help his friend, NBC News said.
“It was so close”. “Like I said, heats and the world title really aren’t something I’m thinking about right now”. He admitted he was now dealing with “an emotional mental sort of trauma” and that it would probably take weeks, if not months, to get over.
“I was kind of freaking out… trying to weigh up the situation.”Wilson said it was terrifying when a wave obscured Fanning from his view, and he “prayed” his mate would be all right after the shark “manhandled” him”.
He said yesterday he felt so “insignificant” compared with the size and speed of the shark, but did not hold any grudges against the predator because he knew “we are in their domain”.
During his surfing moment at the competition, 19 July 2015, J-Bay Open finals, shark suddenly attacked him. “I wouldn’t say it was an attack”, says the longtime underwater cinematographer, who focuses on great white sharks and has filmed for National Geographic, BBC, and Discovery Channel’s Shark Week. “I don’t know how many people would have taken that thing on”.
“They suggest you punch the shark on the nose”. Thanks to the @wsl announcers and water patrol for being on top of us and the care they showed us and to all my friends on tour that were by my side. “You know, to see that he just turned on something that was so much bigger than him”. He said a shark encounter was the furthest thing from his mind as he got ready to call the competition airing live.
He added in an interview with redbull.com that: “Mentally I’m a bloody mess, but I’ll come good in time”.
“You just count your lucky stars and if there is someone up there looking after us [then] thanks”, he said.
Advertisement
And like I said, I was just so panicked that I wasn’t getting there in time for him. “He was so courageous… like a warrior”.
