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“I just wish mum had taken me in herself instead of calling the ambulance,” said Van Burck. Photo: Jerad Williams/Gold Coast Bulletin

“I just wish mum had taken me in herself instead of calling the ambulance,” said Van Burck. Photo: Jerad Williams/Gold Coast Bulletin


The Inertia

Scott Van Burck runs charter company called Fish the Deep. A few days ago, the 31-year-old caught a small reef shark and brought it on board for a customer. He gaffed the shark, pulled it over the railing, and left it on the deck, where it promptly flipped around and latched onto his leg.

“I went to hit him on the head to stop him from biting me,” he explained to The Gold Coast Bulletin, “but I made the wrong move and he just bit me.” As one does when a shark is latched onto a leg, Scott began to try to get his leg free. Along with Adrian Gray, a deckhand, he pried the shark’s mouth open with pliers, then threw the shark overboard. “He latched on and wasn’t letting go,” he said. “Adrian threw it overboard. It’s probably the last [shark] I bring on board now.”

"A bit of duct tape would have sorted me out just fine, thanks." Photos: David Clark/Gold Post Bulletin

“A bit of duct tape would have sorted me out just fine, thanks.” Photos: David Clark/Gold Post Bulletin

Afterwards, Van Burck did a very Australian thing: wrapped his leg up with duct tape and decided to keep on fishing. His eight customers, though, thought he might want to get his freshly-bitten leg looked at by professionals. Eventually, he agreed and began the hour-and-a-half long trip back to the boat ramp. Along the way, he called his mother to tell her what happened. She, as most mothers would do, called an ambulance–something that Van Burck wasn’t all that into. “I just wish mum had taken me in herself instead of calling the ambulance,” he said.

The Queensland Ambulance let everyone know about the incident via Twitter.

Soon afterwards, Scott was greeted by a thirsty media, including circling helicopters, which was not at all what he wanted. All he wanted was to either keep fishing or, if he absolutely had to, quietly go about the business of getting a few stitches, then get back to fishing.  “I think if you try and kill a shark the greenies will have a spew,” he told the Gold Coast Bulletin. “I could be wrong though. When we go out we only catch what we need. We don’t try and reach our bag limits every time. I guess I’m better off than Mick Fanning though — or actually I’m worse off than him.”

 
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