A man who was attacked by a shark while surfing displayed an 11-inch scar resulting from the encounter. Lee Berryman revealed that he was bitten by the shark at D’Estrees Bay, Kangaroo Island, Australia, initially mistaking the shark for a Bronze Whaler. The South Australia Police reported that a man in his 50s had driven himself to the hospital after the incident.
Shark Watch South Australia (SWSA) estimated that the bite on Mr. Berryman’s thigh was around 10 inches long, indicating that the shark was approximately three meters in length. Mr. Berryman’s surfboard was damaged during the attack, and he shared images of his extensive scar, requiring over 50 stitches. He mentioned being bitten once and described the shark as “chomping” on him.
The teeth marks on the surfboard were identified as those of a Great White shark, contradicting the initial belief that it was a Bronze Whaler. Mr. Berryman recounted the incident, stating, “I was swimming out and the shark just grabbed me. Its nose was close to me, and so I just started belting it and it let go. As soon as I felt it grab me, I thought to myself, ‘that’s the little f***** that was here the other day.'”
Following the attack, as Mr. Berryman swam towards the shore, two seals approached him, with a pup circling around him until he reached safety. He mentioned that he is recovering and mobile but experiences discomfort when sitting for extended periods.
SWSA announced plans to feature Mr. Berryman on their upcoming ‘Sharks Cast’ public broadcast, highlighting his long history of surfing and diving in the D’Estrees Bay area. Despite the harrowing experience, Mr. Berryman expressed no ill will towards sharks, emphasizing his familiarity with the local waters and his lack of fear towards them.
According to the Australian Shark Incident Database, an average of 20 shark incidents occur each year over the past decade, resulting in an average of 2.8 fatalities annually and seven incidents where individuals remain unharmed.
