A man who was attacked by a shark while surfing displayed an 11-inch scar from the incident. Lee Berryman revealed that he was bitten by the shark at D’Estrees Bay, Kangaroo Island, Australia, on October 7. Initially, he mistook the shark for a Bronze Whaler. The South Australian Police stated that a man in his 50s had self-driven to the hospital after the attack.
Shark Watch South Australia (SWSA) estimated that the shark bite on Mr. Berryman’s thigh was approximately 10 inches long, indicating the shark was around three meters in length. Mr. Berryman’s surfboard was damaged during the attack, and he shared images of his scar, which required over 50 stitches. He mentioned that the shark only bit him once, describing the experience as the shark “chomping” on him.
The surfboard showed teeth marks that were determined to be too wide for a Bronze Whaler, matching those of a Great White shark instead. Mr. Berryman recounted the incident, stating, “I was swimming out and the shark just grabbed me. Its nose was close to me, and so I just started belting it and it let go.” He added, “As soon as I felt it grab me, I thought to myself, ‘that’s the little f***** that was here the other day.'”
After swimming towards shore, Mr. Berryman was accompanied by two seals, with a pup circling around him until he reached safety. Despite ongoing recovery, he expressed appreciation for the support and mentioned limitations in sitting for extended periods. SWSA announced plans to feature Mr. Berryman on their upcoming ‘Sharks Cast’ public broadcast. Mr. Berryman, a long-time surfer and diver in the area, emphasized his familiarity with the waters and expressed no ill will towards sharks following the incident.
According to the Australian Shark Incident Database, an average of 20 shark incidents occur annually over the past decade. The data indicates an average of 2.8 fatalities and seven incidents where individuals escaped unharmed each year.