The Sharp Eye surfboard didn’t fair so well. Photo: ABC//Simon Daly
There’s something in the water in Australia. It’s sharks.
The latest in the seemingly never-ending stream of shark encounters down under occurred at Tathra Beach in New South Wales. Nine year old Bowie Daly was surfing around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, when he felt a mysterious force grab him from below the surface.
“I felt a tug at the back of my board,” Bowie told ABC. He went on to describe how he then felt like he was drowning, as the force of the pull sent him underwater.
“When I came back up, I saw a giant back and I realized it was a shark and then I started screaming for help,” he continued.
Thankfully, the shark soon let go and nearby surfers (one of whom was Bowie’s father) were able to get Bowie to shore safely. He received a small tear in his wetsuit and a bruise over the course of the attack, but was otherwise unscathed.
His board was not so lucky. Having borne the brunt of the attack, the Sharp Eye came out of the encounter with its tail completely ripped off and full of bite marks.
Though a close call like that no doubt has a mental toll, Bowie seems to be taking it in stride. He told ABC that it would probably be two to four weeks until he gets back in the water. When a local pro offered him a new board, though, that plan got fast tracked.
