SHARK TAKES SURFING CHOMP
A KITESURFER had a lucky escape after a shark ripped the back of his surfboard off at a popular northern NSW break on Sunday.
Pictures of the surfboard emerged yesterday showing what appeared to be a massive bite mark, and a tooth left behind by the offending shark.
Locals said the chunk was taken out of the kitesurfer’s board while he surfed off Flat Rock, in Ballina Shire.
A man who said he witnessed the incident said the kitesurfer initially thought he had run over a sea turtle.
“(He) thought he ran over a turtle then realised the back of his board was missing,” the man said. “So he came in and grabbed another board. Poor shark would have got a fright.”
Ryan Kenny, who runs Byron Bay media company Mocean Media House, said surfers in Ballina and surrounding areas were only just starting to relax about getting back into the water after a spate of more than a dozen attacks since 2015.
“It’s been pretty good lately, hopefully it doesn’t get as bad as it was a few years ago,” Mr Kenny said.
“After those two years people are at the point now where they accept (the sharks) are always there.”