Surfer punches shark as jaws sink into wife’s leg
A HERO husband saved his wife’s life by pouncing on and pummelling a great white shark that had her in its jaws.
Chantelle Doyle, 35, was surfing with partner Mark Rapley on Saturday morning when the predator struck.
In a Jaws-style attack the 10ft juvenile shark bit through Chantelle’s right calf and the back of her thigh. Mark then jumped from his surfboard on to the shark and repeatedly punched it until the creature let go and they were able to get back to the beach.
Jed Toohey, who witnessed the attack off Shelly beach in Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia, said:
“It was unbelievable. He saved her life. It would have been strong enough to take her out to sea. He was really incredible.”
Another beachgoer said the shark then swam up and down, leaping out of the water with the mum of one’s surfboard in its mouth. Surfer Peter Lobb, Jed, and others then applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding and save Chantelle’s leg before an air ambulance arrived.
Peter said: “Chantelle kept saying, ‘I’m OK’. She was so calm and relaxed. But then her leg started to get numb.”
It is the third serious shark attack in the state in recent months. Steven Pearce, chief executive of New South Wales Surf Life Saving, described Mark as “really heroic”.
He said: “We’ve had some really serious and tragic shark encounters over the past couple of months. So to paddle out of your own safety zone into an area where you know there is a large shark is amazing.”