INJURED – 7 July 2009 – Jongensfontein, Southern Cape, South Africa – surfer attacked

Paul Buckley, 37, suffered lacerations to his left leg after he was bitten by an estimated 3.5 metre great white shark while surfing at Kakgats at Jongensfontein on the southern Cape coast, South Africa. The incident occurred on Tuesday 7 July 2009.

The shark sunk its teeth into his left thigh and held on for a couple of seconds before releasing him and swimming away.

Buckley describes the incident.

I was actually paddling back to shore because I hadn’t had a great surf when I was flipped in the air with such force.

It sounded like a growl or a grunt - maybe from the impact.

I just knew in my gut that it was a shark. It was like a 500lb Rottweiler in a very bad mood.

The force was incredible. The first thing I said when I was attacked was "No, please God not like this."

I didn’t see the shark’s eyes because his back was towards me but that was when I grabbed its tail. 

No doubt I was scared. I feared for my life so I just grabbed it. I thought if I held it by the tail, its mouth could not reach me again.

The bite in Buckley’s board measured 37cm wide and 3cm deep into the board.

A National Sea Rescue Institute spokesperson said “it was a bloody big fish” and reckoned it must have measured about 3.5 metres and was most likely a great white.

The bite on Buckley’s leg was about 30cm wide.

Watching from his parent's balcony, 14-year-old Pieter de Witt saw the surfer start to thrash around in the water.

De Witt rushed down to the sea where he met Buckley and Phil Norton – who had been surfing with Buckley – while his sister brought a car down to the beach.

"The first we knew of it was when we saw Paul paddling slowly towards the beach. He paddled right onto the sand and was holding his leg," said Norton.

"We bundled him into the car and rushed him to a local doctor who sewed it shut. From there we dashed to Mossel Bay hospital where a specialist sewed it up."

According to Norton, the doctors said Buckley was lucky no flesh had been torn off and the shark's teeth hadn't ruptured an artery or torn his hamstring.

Sources
IOL
Mail Online

PIC: Buckley and De Witt
PIC Source: Mail Online

INJURED – 5 July 2009 – Zelda Beach Approach, Daytona Beach, Florida, US – Boogie boarder attacked

A 12-year-old girl received minor wounds when she was bitten on the ankle by a shark while she was surfing her Boogie board in about 4 feet of water north of Zelda Beach Approach, Daytona Beach, Florida, US. The incident happened around 4pm on Sunday, 5 July 2009.

The girl’s parents drove her to hospital where she was expected to have a few stitches.

A Beach Patrol spokesperson said the shark was most likely a juvenile black tip or spinner.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
News Journal Online

INJURED – 4 July 2009 -- Biscayne National Park, Florida, US – swimmer attacked

A 43-year-old woman (name not released) was bitten on the leg by a nurse shark while swimming near sandbar in Biscayne National Park, Florida, US. The incident happened on Saturday afternoon, 4 July 2009.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said the bite was severe, but not life-threatening.

“It took a big chunk out of her leg, but luckily missed an artery,” one of the Fire Rescue officials was quoted as saying.

According to media, the woman felt something bump her leg, and when she looked down, saw she'd been bitten by a nurse shark.

Her friends took the woman from the sandbar to Homestead Bayfront Park Marina by boat, where they were met by rescuers.

She was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital for treatment, but was said to be stable and talking.

Sources:
Miami Herald