A 20 year-old male surfer at Muizenberg was attacked by a shark at approximately 2:07pm this afternoon. According to the NSRI report, the victim’s injuries included multiple lacerations to his lower limbs and an avulsion to the left thigh. Fortunately the injuries were not critical and a member of the public was able to stem the blood flow using the victim’s leash as a tourniquet. Paramedics then took over and stabilised the victim before he was airlifted to Vincent Pallotti Hospital.
We spoke with photographer, Ian Thurtell, who was on the scene and had already chatted to a few eyewitnesses. It’s reported the victim was launched out of the water by the shark when it attacked him. According to long time Muizenberg local, Reza De Nicker, the wind and surf conditions also looked exactly the same as the day JP Andrews was attacked in 2004.
The shark is suspected to have been between 3 and 4 meters in length judging by the bite marks, but this can only be confirmed once further investigation has taken place. It has been confirmed to be a great white, however.
At the time of the incident, Shark Spotters were flying the black flag to indicate poor water and weather visibility. A surfer who’d spotted a shark fin in the water notified the spotters, but they were in the process of raising the shark alarm when the attack took place.
Shark Spotters and Law Enforcement officers have closed Muizenberg Beach. Bathers and surfers along the False Bay coastline are urged to exercise caution.
Hope the surfer is going to be ok…….and for that matter, the shark.
Geez hope the guy is alright
that’s really bad news, and scary as hell. i hope the surfer recover’s fast, physically and mentally..
Thankfully it appears that he’ll be alright. We’ve updated the story with further details.
Poor dude. Just hope nobody gets angry at the shark, going shark on the surfer. As we are guests in its home.
We don’t kill sharks down this way…no fear of that.
Why not, when a wild animal attacks someone on land, the first thing they do is track and kill it!
Try telling that to the millions of people who have settled previously uninhabitable land in South Africa over the last 100 years – we were guests in the “Lion’s home” then but now there are no Lions left except in reserves (which won’t last long with our population growth)!
One day when we are forced to live in the sea permanently and do not have the option of living on land, then perhaps we may need to “manage” the situation, as you suggest. But, as long as we are using the sea for recreational purposes only, I don’t think it is fair to go shark hunting every time some-one is attacked. And yes, I can see the “holes” in the reasoning.. what about people who use the mountains for recreational purposes who may be attacked by a wild bear.. etc etc… the facts are, we do not live in the sea, we do not need to inhabit it or put ourselves in potential danger of sharks, and if we choose to, then it is does not seem fair that the shark should be penalised.. and if you are going to “manage” the problem, how are you going to know which shark did the damage?
Whatever… Need to cull the sharks,same as they do in game reserves-you cant mess with the balance of the ocean in only one respect by fishing the ocean dead and then leave the predators to multiply-if you doing it one respect you need to even out the balance!!!!!
The boat tour companies do whats called chumming in and around false bay Capetown to attract the great white sharks for the benefit of the tourists happy snaps with the camera. Therefore the sharks are far more in abundance relating boats to food. Human stupidity. Enough said.
The chum those boats use is thrown into the water next to an island populated by up to 60000 seals, nevermind the fish oil and blood (chum) they are brining back. Highly unlikely that the boat’s chumming has any effect on shark populations.
No one said chumming increased the white shark population. Please read all again. Chumming is not confined to just seal islands. As you have pointed out the fish oil and blood is on the boat hull surface. The sharks have begun to relate boats with chum and hence swim near boats that are near the surfing areas.
Chumming is not the reason for the attacks …. stop blaiming people, chumming has been going on for hundreds of years and has always been afecting the waters , but sharks are not in the false bay area for chum they are here for the seals , and that is why we have the best population of great white sharks , sharks dont eat human meat , they only mistake us for te larger prey like seals in the ocean , dirty water is wat ccaused the attack so if u wana blame something , blame the weather , or just stop talking
hey bud, fully agree with the dirty water but you’re being very niave or generous with your chumming comment. Can you imagine the amount of fish predators could nom on 100 years ago compared to now? Think about that for a second and then think about how agitated a hungry predator would be if he smelled blood but there was nothing to eat. It’s a very simple story mate, chumming and overfishing is the problem. Plus these extremely hungry fish are protected (growing numbers) which puts us humans shit out of luck when we go for a surf.
Hope the surfer makes a speedy recovery, very lucky guy.
Have just noticed your VERY misleading response to my article posted 4 months ago. I suppose it is possible that you are one of the chummers, and so are offended by my article. No matter how long chumming has been going on for it is definitely a shark attraction and human stupidity. Please feel free to express an opinion, but try to find how to write with manners when addressing others.
Dof. If you destroy the apex predators there is no balance. Game reserves are artificial environments. Go educate yourself.
So is the Ocean – we manage it and, once you manage anything you need to manage everything (first rule of environmental management)
Shouldn’t we rather then address the fishing issues than destroy sharks because we are over fishing? The great white is a threatened species Don. What threatened species are they currently culling in the game reserves?
Lions are culled and the Lion is a threatened species – the White Shark no longer is, hence the culling in western Australia.
PJ, the culling in Western Australia was implemented by imbecile of state prime minister who has no regard for the people or the ocean. Before making such references my advice to you is understand the entire facts before making such comments. WA’s culling has resulted in NOT 1 great white killed but many tiger sharks!!!
Neither Whites nor Tigers are endangered while we have thousands of landbased species that are and will not see out the next ten years due to mankind’s rapid growth as a specie – let’s spend our time protesting the movement of people into these previous wilderness areas. Re. Don’s point about management I am unmoved in my support of it, from my position as an environmental scientist. Re. Western Aus, strange how so many Tigers have been killed as the tagged tigers normally only show a large presence on the far NE coast of WA during summer – I’ll check it out but when I was there, down in the freezing waters off Freemantle (Perth) we saw only Whites – one of the few fish that can regulate its body temp. to some degree.
You should put this comment on 9gag.
if you cull sharks and they become extinct thats actually really bad for the ocean and the whole world as it stopsthe whole food chain and the sea becomes overpopulated!!!!!!! shark culling needs to be banned!!!!!!!!!!
regardless of anything anyone has to say (and I’m sorry to be so pig headed but come on guys) you can’t go out and kill an animal because it inconveniences you. i mean hey maybe they shark has decided that theres too many humans eating all its fish so its culling human?? whats the difference?? ill tell you, we should know better. my father was the all african marlin record holder, he hasn’t fished in nearly 20 years because its just not right to keep taking what is not ours to take. don’t then go and take more on the other side as ta means of “balance”.. tell me whats balanced about that? Sos. save our seas.
I used to swim there years ago, although not in August. I feel it must be a change in conditions which has brought the sharks in. However the ocean is not a swimming pool but their habitat, so if you swim in it, you take a risk. “Culling’ is just idiotic.
You ask this surfer if he wants that shark dead, I’d Guarantee you he’d say no. It’s risk we take when swimming and surfing, most people are accepting of their surroundings and of the fact that one day they might be involved in a shark attack.
Just happy that the surfer is okay. But it’s the shark’s environment we’re playing in, so we should expect this to happen once in a while. And that’s the point. It happens once in a blue moon. Overreaction doesn’t help. Surfing will continue, and it will remain largely very safe.
“There is much support to the idea that continuous chumming has altered the local shark populations feeding pattern, and that there is an association with chumming, humans and the promise of food. In Australia, during a 2011 study conducted in the Neptune Islands, shark activity was significantly altered by the introduction of chum along the coast where cage diving took place.”
..if you are worried about the chumming then close Kalk Bay harbour – they chum 1000 times more gunk than any of the Shark Operators….just saying..
PortNet, the harbours authority for South Africa is committed to reducing pollution inflows and environmental impacts of the harbours it manages. In Western Australia fishermen are expected to gut fish into bins that the authorities provide and service. This because fish guts attract crocs and sharks, and alters their natural feeding behaviour.
So glad in south brazil there are no sharks, not sure if I would go paddle knowing maybe can be sharks sniffing around… U guys are very courageous , respect 🙂
Heavy days, hope he’s alright. Being predated is an…experience. I hope the government doesn’t take the opportunity to set up nets and damage the eco-system further, which in my opinion, could be reason for sharks having to predate differently. Blaming the shark is like blaming the ground when a skydiver falls to death. Strength.
Hi JP!!
Greg here, I’m a producer with National Geographic’s ‘When Sharks Attack’. We’re shooting an episode that takes place in South Africa’s Western Cape and we’re hoping to interview you about your personal experience.
If interested, I can provide further details. Shoot me an email at greg.cole@optomenusa.com.
Thanks!
The reporting by the Argus is inaccurate.
The guy who got the victim to shore is Matthew Kabot. (his board is pictured under the victim in the front page of the Argus)
Not to be disrespectful, be he is the guy who risked his life to save another. The others did help but only once the victim was out of harms way.
Matthew is pictured in the 3rd picture of this article (back facing the camera. Long hair)
Guy Kabot
Hey i never said destroy the shark population -they have a purpose, and are a much needed part of the enviroment…
I said manage- which doesnt mean go out and obliterate the shark population,it means when sharks have started breading to the point of over-population the number needs to be diminished so that there is a balance once again in the ocean.
If you messing with the oceans enviroment on one level it needs to be balanced out across the board…
Im not a expert thats just my little personal opinion.
Some idiots on here with small minds and with a serious lack of the holistic view of the world. Those of you talking about balance and too many predators in the sea? Let me teach you a lesson I was taught as a child… Nature is constantly searching for equilibrium but there are always spikes and troughs. As a predator becomes dominant, more food is needed. Eventually food is consumed and there is not enough food for the predator.That predatory species then rebalances as it is more difficult for it to survive. As the numbers drop down the food source then redevelops as there are low numbers of predators. This is nature, this is balance and it is constantly changing. If you are seriously concerned of high numbers of predators then why the FUCK are people chumming??? We are giving predators FREE food and create a ridiculously heavy predatory species who associate food to humans. Make the link people, culling sharks is not the solution. Prevent the association with humans and let nature rebalance nature. Then of course the argument below about we should be protecting land animals who are close to extinction before sea creatures. I agree with half of this, yes we should be protecting those animals to prevent extinction absolutely… But we also need to prevent sea creatures from becoming close to extinction. TYPICAL human knee jerk reactions, do not do anything until it is already damaged or too late..
hmmm…