Aus diver mauled by shark
2006-01-15 10:39
Perth - A 52-year-old diver mauled on Sunday by a great white shark fought off the animal by hitting it with a spear gun near a beach in the Western Australia state capital, Perth, police said.
Brian Williams escaped the attack with just lacerations to his left arm. The shark was thought to be a 3.5m great white.
"He was believed to be away from the other divers at the time of the attack and the shark attacked from behind, grabbing and biting his arm," police inspector George Putland told Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"He hit out at the shark with his spear gun and eventually the shark swam away," he added.
Williams was rushed to a Perth hospital, where he was recovering from his wounds.
The attack came just over a week after a woman was fatally attacked by up to four sharks in shallow waters off an island near Australia's east coast.
Three people have been killed by sharks in Western Australia state since 2000.
In 2000, Perth businessman Ken Crew, 49, died after his leg was ripped off by what was believed to be a 4m great white off Perth's Cottesloe Beach.
In July 2004, 30-year-old surfer Brad Smith died after being attacked at Gracetown, 270km southwest of Perth.
And in March last year, 26-year-old Geoffrey Brazier was killed by a 6m shark while snorkeling off the Abrolhos Islands off the state's southwestern coast.
- AP