THROWN FROM HIS BOARD BY A SHARK… 🦈😱 A Bundaberg surfer has shared the terrifying moment a shark suddenly struck, throwing him from his surfboard in a shocking encounter that unfolded in seconds.
A Bundaberg surfer has described the terrifying moment a shark blindsided him, throwing him from his hydrofoil board in what he believes was a rare case of mistaken identity.
Dave Seymour escaped without a scratch after a shark bit into a hydrofoil board he had borrowed from a friend while surfing off Moore Park Beach, leaving deep tooth marks in the carbon board.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Bundaberg local shows off shark teeth marks on hydrofoil board
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Speaking to Sunrise on Wednesday, Seymour said there had been increased trawler activity in the area in recent days, which he believed may have drawn sharks closer to shore.
“The thing blindsided me,” he said, holding up the damaged board.
“I went flying and sort of treading water for a bit trying to process what happened, and figured I should probably get on the board, hit the trigger and get back on the beach and just give it some thought and reassess.”
Seymour believes the thicker construction of the hydrofoil board may have saved him from a far more serious outcome.
“These boards they’re somewhere in the vicinity of 4 inches to 6 inches (10cm to 15cm) thick, and I think if I was on a thinner board it might have been a closer call,” he said.
After being thrown into the water, Seymour said his focus shifted immediately to staying calm.
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“The moment you panic, I think that’s going to attract a bit more attention,” he said.
He described the incident as an “isolated and pretty rare attack”, saying he believed the shark had mistaken him for prey.
“I think I’m pretty lucky,” he said.
The board drifted 2m to 3m away after the impact, forcing Seymour to swim back to it before making his way safely to shore.
He said one of the most extraordinary parts of the ordeal happened hours later, when his mother called him.
According to Seymour, she told him she had felt an “unnerving” urge at 9am that morning to stop and pray for the protection of her children.
The shark attack happened around 10.30am and, remarkably, Seymour walked away without a single injury.
The attack comes amid several reported shark attacks and fatalities around Australia this year, but Seymour said he had not noticed a significant increase in shark activity around Bundaberg.
“I don’t see much shark activity really. I’ve been surfing for upwards of 30 years and I’ve never had an encounter like this,” he said.
“I do hear about increased shark numbers … and I think it’s an important topic of conversation. It’s really good that people are starting to converse about this.”
Seymour, who regularly provides beach reports for the local community, said he hopes the incident draws attention to the need for shark bite kits in regional communities, with the Moore Park Beach Surf Life Saving Club currently lobbying for funding.
