"Shark Attack Survivors News Archive"

07/08/2009 Paul Buckley ( South Africa )

Listing of the Shark Attack Related Incidents occurring in 2009. 2009 Shark Attacks
Post Reply
helmi
Posts: 208
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:23 pm

Re: 07/08/2009 Paul Buckley ( South Africa )

Post by helmi »

I heard the shark before it hit me - surfer
July 09 2009 at 06:53PM
By Craig McKune

Paul Buckley heard the shark before it hit him.
"It was like a 500-pound Rottweiler in a very bad mood.

"It sounded like a growl or a grunt - maybe from the impact. The force was incredible."

Thrown into the water from his surfboard, Buckley grabbed the shark's tail, hoping this would stop it from coming back at him. The predator remained fastened to his left thigh for a second or two, then it let go and swam out to sea.

Neoprene-coated surfer was not on the menu - just a taste - and Buckley was left to paddle a slow, prayer-filled 100m back to the beach, where he was rushed to a local doctor with a lacerated leg.

The 37-year-old from Claremont had been surfing on Tuesday at a spot called "Kakgats" at Jongensfontein, near Stilbaai, when he was attacked.

"It was a bloody big fish," said NSRI station commander Rico Menezies after examining bite marks in Buckley's surfboard on Thursday. He estimated the shark to be over three and a half metres.

The bite was about 37cm wide and nearly 3cm deep into the board, he said. The bite on Buckley's leg was "a foot wide".

"I'm almost certain it was a great white," Menezies said.

The waves had been perfect that morning. "It was brilliant," said Phil Norton who had joined Buckley and three others in the water.

"It was probably the best... We were surfing six-foot peeling perfection," he said, reverting to surf jargon. "We'd seen whales and seals - there was a lot of wildlife out there."

Norton had already caught a wave back to the beach, and only two surfers were still in the water when Buckley was attacked.

Watching from his parent's balcony, 14-year-old Pieter de Witt saw the surfer start to thrash around in the water.

De Witt rushed down to the sea where he met Buckley and Norton, while his sister brought a car down to the beach.

"The first we knew of it was when we saw Paul paddling slowly towards the beach. He paddled right onto the sand and was holding his leg," said Norton.

"We bundled him into the car and rushed him to a local doctor who sewed it shut. From there we dashed to Mossel Bay hospital where a specialist sewed it up."

According to Norton, the doctors said Buckley was lucky no flesh had been torn off and the shark's teeth hadn't ruptured an artery or torn his hamstring.

"If it had just been a little further over to the left or right, or if it had taken out a chunk it could have been much worse," Buckley said.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1 ... 506C180712
helmi
Posts: 208
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:23 pm

Re: 07/08/2009 Paul Buckley ( South Africa )

Post by helmi »

Teen hailed as hero in shark attack
2009/07/09
Louise Mouton GARDEN ROUTE CORRESPONDENT

A STILL Bay teenager is being hailed as a hero after he spotted a surfer being attacked by a shark and rushed to his aid.

Paul Buckley, of Claremont, Cape Town, was attacked by a shark while riding the waves at Jongensfontein in Still Bay, just south of the Garden Route, on Tuesday this week.

Grade 9 pupil Pieter “Boeta” de Witt, 14, who saw the attack from the patio of his parents‘ home, is now in line for a bravery award.

Still Bay NSRI station commander Rico Menezies said yesterday Buckley was attacked at 11.15am but the type and size of the shark were not known. “We are still trying to get hold of the board so we can examine the teeth marks before we determine that.”

De Wit said he saw two surfers in the water and that one began to thrash about. He realised there was a problem and ran to the beach while his sister, Wilmarie, brought their car around. “We saw the man paddle out of the water and we ran to him when he called for help. We could see his leg was so badly injured that it was clear something had attacked him.”

The surfboard had a 20cm to 25cm hole in it, he added.

The siblings rushed Buckley to a local doctor, who treated him for deep flesh and skin wounds on his left thigh. He was later transferred to a Mossel Bay hospital.

Buckley, still clearly shocked by the incident, said it was only thanks to God‘s grace that he had not suffered a fatal injury. He did not want any photographs taken while in hospital.

He said the shark appeared to him to have been about 2,5m long.

“Surfing is my sport and I‘ll paddle out again. Once you have the ocean in your blood, it‘s in your blood,” he said.

Hessequa Deputy Mayor Lorna Scott said De Witt would be given a bravery award for his role in helping Buckley.

Menezies said the sea conditions were favourable for a shark attack as the water was unclear and the waves were quite big.

Two whales were apparently in the area, he said, and the shark could have been drawn if they had a calf with them.

Shark attacks are rare in the Still Bay and Jongensfontein area.

http://www.weekendpost.co.za/article.aspx?id=443196
helmi
Posts: 208
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:23 pm

07/08/2009 Paul Buckley ( South Africa )

Post by helmi »

Paul Buckley was attacked by a shark while surfing in Jongensfontein, South Africa.
He suffered a deep wound to his leg.

Surfer survives shark attack at Jongensfontein in Stilbaai
2009/07/08
Louise Mouton Garden Route Correspondent

CLAREMONT surfer Paul Buckley was attacked by a shark yesterday (July 8) while riding the waves in Jongensfontein in Stilbaai. He was rushed to a Mossel Bay hospital where a deep wound to his leg was stitched closed before he was discharged yesterday (July 8).

According to NSRI station commander Rico Menezies, the attack happened at 11.15am off a beach frequented by surfers. He said until they examined the board for bite marks, they could not say what type of shark attacked Buckley or how big it was.

Local resident Pieter de Witt, known as Boeta, witnessed the attack from the patio of his parents house. He said he saw two surfers in the water and one began to thrash about wildly.

Boeta realised there was a problem and ran to the beach while his sister brought the car around. They saw Buckley paddle to the beach and ran to his aid when he called for help.

Boeta said it was clear that Buckley had been attacked by something and that his surfboard had a 20 to 25cm hole in it.

Read about the attack in Buckley's own words in The Herald tomorrow.

http://www.theherald.co.za/article.aspx?id=442950
Post Reply

Return to “2009 Shark Attack Related Incidents”