Zachary Hlaing, 15, was surfing off the coast of Mandurah, Western Australia, early Tuesday morning when the unthinkable happened. “I just felt something grab my leg, shake it a little bit and let go,” he told reporters.
The shark bit his left leg, leaving six deep gashes. The shark swam away after biting Hlaing, who started bleeding and went into shock. But he was able to paddle to shore.
Daily Mail Great Britain
“(It) didn’t really hurt or anything because I was still in shock,” Hlaing said. There were “several pieces of shark tooth or possibly a bone” in his leg and he will need surgery to remove the fragments, police said. The Western Australia. Hlaing recalled the incident to a local news station here.
Jay Reeves, a local surfer who happened to be nearby at Pyramids Beach, about 80 kilometers south of Perth, took Hlaing to hospital after the incident. According to reports, he called the 15-year-old the “gnarliest little guy” because he remained calm throughout.
“I ran to him when he came out dripping blood, so I put him on my back and ran to the car,” Reeves recalled. “I wrapped his foot in a towel, threw him in the car and took him straight to the hospital.”
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Western Australian authorities believe the shark was up to two meters long, but have not identified the species. Mandurah City rangers then closed the beach up to a kilometer from where the incident occurred.
Hlaing told the media after receiving treatment that he was still eager to get back in the water, but may not have been at Pyramids for a while.
“I’ve been surfing pretty much all my life because dad got me into it and we live near the beach so it’s pretty much the only thing I do in the summer,” he said. “I may not go to the same place for a while, but as soon as I can, I’ll be there.”
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