On Tuesday 28 May 1996, around 3pm, I went surfing at a surf spot called The Steps in Wilderness and came out with a story I have been telling ever since.
I was 17 years old and completely surf mad. Six of us were out that afternoon. My brother Glenn and a few friends were enjoying perfect overhead waves while preparing for the South African Schools Surfing Trials taking place the following weekend.
I was lying on my board about 100 metres from the beach, facing the horizon, waiting for a wave, when it all happened. There had been plenty of dolphins around that week, so when what felt like a bump happened, I thought nothing of it, assuming it was the turbulence of a school of dolphins swimming by.
What had happened was that a shark clamped onto my left leg and surfboard, crunched the tail of the board, and caught all three of the surfboard fins in its mouth along with my thigh and calf. The shark shook me from side to side before flinging me off my board and into the air. I landed on its back and in front of me was an enormous dorsal fin. Only then, when the water started churning red around me, did I realise this was no dolphin.
By this time the adrenaline had kicked back in. I managed to get back on my board with the shark below me. I made a dash for the shore, shouting to everyone to get out of the water, which had already seen the ordeal. I thought the shark was still behind, chasing me “like in the movies”, and I paddled for the first wave and missed it. The seconds waiting for the next one were the longest of my life. Eventually, when I managed to catch a wave, it carried me all the way in. I hopped up onto the dry sand but was not able to stand on my lacerated leg and, strangely enough, with no pain.
Sven Seeberger, a good friend and qualified lifeguard also surfing with me on the day, used his first aid training to control the bleeding and kept people back while the others called for help. He understood that infection, shock and panic are what make shark attacks so dangerous, and he flawlessly saved my life in preparation for the ambulance arriving shortly afterwards.
I underwent a lengthy operation to repair the damage and remove fragments of teeth embedded in my leg. This resulted in many internal stitches reassembling the damaged calf and thigh muscles, with external staples zipping me up. The tooth marks on my board measured about 25cm across. A shark expert examined my wounds and the tooth fragments embedded in the board. The shark was later confirmed by Cape Nature Reserve to be a Great White Shark, roughly 3 metres in length, and the attack was the first recorded shark attack between Buffalo Bay and Mossel Bay.
I have since recovered, still love and respect the ocean. I still surf to this day and have competed in many marathons, trail runs, road and mountain bike races, as well as Ironman triathlons. This was all thanks to the support and care of my parents, brother and friends, who flooded me with encouragement. My community played a fundamental role in getting me back out there, for which I will be eternally grateful.
The most significant realisation of my shark attack was that no matter what life challenges we may have, anything is still possible if you want it.
