- Title: SOUTH AFRICA: LUCKY ESCAPE FOR SURFER ATTACKED BY GREAT WHITE SHARK
- Date: 20th July 2000
- Summary: EAST LONDON, SOUTH AFRICA (JULY 17, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. LV EAST LONDON BEACH 0.06 2. SCU WAVES CRASH ONTO ROCK; SLV SURFERS RIDE WAVES (4 SHOTS) 0.23 3. SLV SURFER FALLING FROM BOARD AT POINT OF SHARK ATTACK 0.28 4. SLV INJURED SURFER BEING HELPED FROM SURF; SURFER HOLDING INJURED HAND IN AIR AS HE WALKS UP BANK (5 SHOTS) 1.52 EAST LONDON, SOUTH AFRICA (JULY 18, 2000) (REUTERS) 5. SCU WHITE FOAM OF WAVES 1.58 6. SCU SIGN READING "BEACH CLOSED" 2.00 7. MV PEOPLE SPEAKING WITH SURFER WHO WAS ATTACKED BY SHARK (2 SHOTS) 2.20 8. SOUNDBITE (English) SHANNON AINSLIE SAYING "I was heading for a wave, all of a sudden a Great White shark about four metres grabbed me and the next minute I was underneath the water and I looked at the shark face-to-face. It suddenly let go of me so I grabbed my board. I warned everybody else about the shark and said get out there is a shark in the water. I paddled ashore, I caught a wave in then my brother's friend Brian Fox tied a leash on my arm to stop it bleeding and another guy put a towel around my hand and some other Australian blokes helped me out of the water." 2.55 9. SLV SURF 3.00 10. SCU SHANNON AINSLIE AND FRIEND WATCH THE SURF 3.05 11. SCU BANDAGED HAND 3.06 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 4th August 2000 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: EAST LONDON, SOUTH AFRICA
- Country: South Africa
- Reuters ID: LVA3QMGYHDHEWRRO1SYWJZLDRQ39
- Story Text: A teenage South African surfer has survived an attack
by a four-metre (13-foot) Great White shark and escaped with
just an injured right hand.
Fifteen-year-old Shannon Ainslie was surfing near the
Indian Ocean port town of East London on Monday (July 18) when
he was attacked by the animal.
"I looked straight into its eyes and thought I was
dreaming," he said later.
The shark bit Ainslie's right hand, severely damaging the
flesh and exposing the bone on the third finger.
Aquarium curator Willie Maritz said the animal probably
intended to bite the boy's surf board but his hand got in the
way.
The main populations of Great Whites are found off the
coasts of South Africa, Australia and California. The sharks,
which can grow to lengths of seven metres or more and weigh up
to four tonnes, generally feed on seals and smaller fish.
Humans are seldom a part of their diet. Some experts say
most attacks on people occur when sharks mistake a human for a
seal.
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