Diver in Australia survives head-first shark attack

Dark Knight

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A diver escaped a 10-foot shark's attack by poking the animal in its eye after it had already chomped on his head once and was preparing for another bite, witnesses and officials said Tuesday.


Eric Nerhus, 41, was flown to a hospital with serious injuries to his head, body and left arm after the attack Tuesday off Cape Howe, about 250 miles south of Sydney.

The shark grabbed Nerhus by the head, crushing his face mask and breaking his nose, said Dennis Luobikis, a fellow diver who witnessed the attack.

"He was actually bitten by the head down — the shark swallowed his head," Luobikis said.

The shark, believed to be a great white, came back for a second bite, clenching its jaws around Nerhus' torso and leaving deep lacerations in his side, said Luobikis.

Nerhus wrestled free of the shark's jaws, and later told rescue workers he had poked the shark in the eye, an unidentified worker from the Snowy Hydro Rescue Helicopter service told local media.

Nerhus was pulled from the water by his 25-year-old son and rushed to a hospital, suffering blood loss and shock.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070123/ap_on_re_au_an/australia_shark_attack&printer=1



 
Dark Knight said:
A diver escaped a 10-foot shark's attack by poking the animal in its eye after it had already chomped on his head once and was preparing for another bite, witnesses and officials said Tuesday.


Eric Nerhus, 41, was flown to a hospital with serious injuries to his head, body and left arm after the attack Tuesday off Cape Howe, about 250 miles south of Sydney.

The shark grabbed Nerhus by the head, crushing his face mask and breaking his nose, said Dennis Luobikis, a fellow diver who witnessed the attack.

"He was actually bitten by the head down — the shark swallowed his head," Luobikis said.

The shark, believed to be a great white, came back for a second bite, clenching its jaws around Nerhus' torso and leaving deep lacerations in his side, said Luobikis.

Nerhus wrestled free of the shark's jaws, and later told rescue workers he had poked the shark in the eye, an unidentified worker from the Snowy Hydro Rescue Helicopter service told local media.

Nerhus was pulled from the water by his 25-year-old son and rushed to a hospital, suffering blood loss and shock.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070123/ap_on_re_au_an/australia_shark_attack&printer=1



I can't imagine going head to head with a shark and living to tell the tale. I believe I'd die of a heart attack regardless of what the fish did to me.
 
I cant imagine that I would have been together enough to think of poking at the shark's eyes. Thank goodness he is able to survive it, I cant imagine how scary that was for his son too.
 
southcitymom said:
I can't imagine going head to head with a shark and living to tell the tale. I believe I'd die of a heart attack regardless of what the fish did to me.[/QUOTE]

As much as I TRY to be brave and all that jazz, I think I agree with this statement, LOL! It would be absolutely terrifying.
 
Yikes... that is scary. :( I'm with southcitymom... if the shark didn't kill me, a heart attack would.

People don't realize how close sharks are to them, when at the beach. Last year I went on a snorkel and diving trip, during one of my photography jaunts to Hawaii... about 40ft below where about 30 snorkelers (sp?) where playing around the anchored boat, the leader of the dive group pointed out a cave... in it was a shark... as well, along the reef, sharks were hanging out. It was highly unnerving and totally put a dent into my plans to spend more time on the reefs of Hawaii doing underwater photography. I simply have no desire to be some creature's lunch. :(
 
Glad he made it. Did anyone else do the math? He's 41 and his son is 25?
 

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