The nightmarish experience happened to Eric Nerhus, 41, who was diving for abalone at Cape Howe, in south-eastern Australia. A buddy, Dennis Luobikis, witnessed the incident.
Strictly speaking, the shark's behaviour was not so much an attack as a 'taste'. In proper attack mode, Nerhus would not have lived. Instead, he was subjected to a relatively light, testing grip, used if the shark is unsure whether to take a prey.
Luobikis told reporters that the shark, estimated at about 3m long, 'swallowed' Nerhus's head, so that his mask was crushed and his nose broken. The shark then readjusted its grip to hold Nerhus by the torso. He reported being in this position for some two minutes, his air supply gone.
Nerhus was eventually able to use his free arm to hit out at the shark's head with his abalone chisel. The shark released its grip enough for Nerhus to struggle free.
He and Luobikis were able to ascend to their cover boat, crewed by Nerhus's son, who described the trauma of seeing his father surface in a 'big pool of blood'.
During the slow ascent and up to the moment he regained the boat, Nerhus said he could see the shark still circling tightly around his fins. He feared that it would take his legs.
Nerhus, who remained conscious, was hauled aboard, rushed ashore and airlifted to hospital, suffering from blood loss and shock. After initial treatment for his broken nose and cuts to his torso, his condition was described as serious but stable.
Related links
Great whites: bets on UK arrival |
