"Shark Attack Survivors News Archive"

05/03/2010 Michel Touzet ( Reunion )

Recent listing of shark attacks 2010 and Shark Attack Related Incidents in 2010.
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sharkbait
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05/03/2010 Michel Touzet ( Reunion )

Post by sharkbait »

This incident comes to us from Michel Touzet from Reunion the person involved in this shark incident.

I'm 59 yrs old, a rather experienced diver, grade 3 CMAS, and a physician living in Reunion Island.

It happened near the Island of Nosy Be, NW Madagascar, on 03 May 2010.

We were 8 divers underwater, on a new spot where we very seldom dive, about
11 NM W of Ambatolaoka (use Google Earth).

Diving conditions were good, time 9:30, water temperature 29°C, rather good visibility, no current, few fish and no fishermen boats.

The sea bottom was approx 70 m, a soft coral drop off.

10 meters from me, my buddy was taking pictures.

We 'd been underwater for 10 mn , at a depth of 45 m when the attack occurred.

The shark probably came from the bottom, I saw it only a fraction of second, its big mouth wide open, before it hit me.

I heard a big noise, waoomm, on the impact.

I felt dizzy for a few seconds, since it hit my head and chest.

I had to use my octopus to breathe since my regulator was torn off, the mouth piece broken, and my mask skirt punctured.

I went to my buddy who assisted me for the ascent following the usual procedure, with a ( long ! ) 2 mn deco stop;

During the ascent I made a compression on my left forearm to lessen the bleeding.

None of the other divers saw the shark ; except for my buddy Philippe, they were approximately 30 m away.

It was a "hit and run" since the shark did not come back, thank god .

The wound of the arm was oddly almost painless.

A deep cut in my left forearm muscle and one on my chest were sutured under local anesthesia with lidocain in a small Malagasy clinic in Hell-Ville.

Luckily I had no sinew, no nerve damages, and no ribs broken.

Since the accident I could dive again in Reunion without problem, but haven't met any other sharks yet...

Before that I had very few experiences with sharks, I had met a few withetips , grey sharks or whale sharks.

The attack was so sudden that I didn't have not have time to do something, not even to be afraid.

I wonder what advice I could give to anyone after that !

It's true that I still love those splendid animals, and look forward to meet them again, in a more peaceful way.

After talking to fellow divers, it may have been a tiger shark who tasted me, but no one can be sure.
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Michel Touzet


All the information and pictures are the property of Michel Touzet!

We thank Michel for sharing his experience with us.
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