This is the scary moment an Aussie surfing champion was attacked by a shark during a competition.
Mick Fanning was competing in the JBay Open final in South Africa yesterday when he encountered the shark, and live footage shows how the shark swam up behind the surfer and chewed off the surfboard’s leg rope.
Fortunately, Fanning was immediately rescued by safety crews and wasn’t injured in the dramatic encounter.
Speaking to News.com.au after the shocking incident, Fanning said:
It came up and got stuck in my leg rope. I instantly just jumped away. It kept coming at my board and I was kicking and screaming. I just saw fins. I didn’t see teeth. I was waiting for the teeth to come at me. I punched it in the back.
Unsurprisingly, the World Surf League called off the day event after this incident and further confirmation there were two sharks in the water.
