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People who live in Australia are just different. A perfect example of this happened this week when a man in his 50s who was bitten in the calf not once, but twice, by a shark while surfing, somehow made his way to shore, got into his car, and then drove himself to the hospital after the attack.
The unidentified man was surfing in D’Estrees Bay off Kangaroo Island in South Australia at around 1:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday when he was attacked by what was believed to be a bronze whaler shark. The shark, according to a member of the public who witnessed the attack, was chasing after a seal when the attack occurred.
The man was surfing at a spot that is known locally as “The Sewer” surf break when, Shark Watch SA reports, the seal used the surfer as a decoy. News.com.au reports that bronze whaler sharks are commonly found in coastal areas and offshore in South Australia and can grow to almost 11 feet in length and weigh up to 660 pounds.
According to local authorities, the wounds sustained by the surfer were non-life-threatening, but he did have to undergo emergency surgery. He is reportedly now recovering and in a stable condition.
The bay was temporarily closed following the attack. Sky News Australia reports there have been four fatal shark attacks recorded in Australia this year. All of the attacks appeared to be unprovoked.
A similar shark attack occurred in 2020 in the same location
Five years ago, a 29-year-old surfer named Dion Lynch was attacked by a great white shark in the same bay. He too was able to paddle to shore in order to receive medical attention after he walked to the car park.
In a statement after the attack, Lynch, who was sitting on his surfboard when the shark bit him, said the shark bit him around his back, buttock and elbow, causing injuries to his back and thighs, and took a chunk out of his board.
“I felt a hit on my left side — it was like being hit by a truck,” he said. “I got a glimpse of the shark as it let go and disappeared.”