Angler becomes shark's catch
2008-04-03 22:32
Dries Liebenberg
Durban - A holiday-maker from Pretoria was bitten on his thigh by a shark while fishing from his kayak off the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.
Jacques Peens, 39, of Doornpoort was attacked last Friday, where he was fishing past the shark nets, after he hooked a shark while fishing for game fish.
Peens, who worked as a warder at Baviaanspoort Prison complex, said he had leaned over to cut the fishing line when the shark half-lifted itself out of the water and sank its teeth into his thigh.
Peens was camping with family and friends at Scottburgh and was fishing with a group of fishermen on the open sea when he had a bite on his drift line which he had set up for game fish.
After about ten minutes, the fish came to the surface and he saw it was a shark.
No muscles affected
Peens said he let out the line and was trying to cut it as the shark appeared next to his boat twice.
When the shark appeared next to the kayak for the third time it half-lifted itself out of the water and bit Peens's leg through the kayak.
The shark bit a hole about as wide as the top of his cap, Peens said and made a circle with his hands to show the extent of the wound.
Fortunately, no muscles were injured.
"I'm not really too fond of blood," said Peens. "Usually, I would've fainted, but I managed to keep my wits about me this time."
He quickly bit off the line and rowed about 1.5km to the beach. Other fisherman also went out to help him.
Peens was treated at Kingsway Hospital and then underwent a three-hour operation at Chatsmead Garden Hospital in Durban.
The hole in his leg was covered with a flap of skin and he was released from hospital on Monday.
But, the active sportsman had to spend the rest of his holiday in the shade of his tent, watching others enjoying the water.
'Say goodbye to the hook'
Dr Geremy Cliff of the Natal Sharks Board said it was unusual for a shark to jump out of the water to bite someone.
"He'll bite to survive and the fisherman must then decide if he wants to take on the shark or if he wants to say goodbye to his hook," he said.
"I don't know what kind of shark it was."
"It was one with teeth," said Peens and joked that it was the last time he would try to take a hook out of a shark's mouth.
- Beeld