Surfer escapes shark with a punch
2012-11-01 14:42
A surfer in Eureka, California fought off a shark by punching it on the side of the head - seconds after he had been bitten, leaving eight deep lacerations.
Sky News reports that the 25-year-old Scott Stephens was paddling on his board a few meters away from the other surfers when the shark grabbed and pulled him under water.
He estimates the creature was four feet (1,2 metres) long and believes it was a juvenile great white.
"The shark came from underneath me, grabbed onto my side, shook me a few times and pulled me under water," he told reporters from his hospital bed.
"I opened my eyes under water and punched the shark on the side of the head a couple of times until it released me. I saw a lot of blood."
He was able to get back onto his board and return to the shore.
Fellow surfers came to his aid when they heard him screaming for help and took him to St Joseph Hospital.
Doctors said the surfboard probably took some of the brunt of the bite, possibly keeping the shark's teeth from penetrating organs that would have made surgery riskier and more complicated.
