A 61-year-old surfer fought for his life after being dragged underwater by a great white shark off the coast of Margaret River in Western Australia. Andy McDonald was wing-foiling about 700 meters from shore on Monday afternoon when the shark struck without warning.
“Just out of the blue, something just went (bang), straight up from behind, like a super solid hit and I was flying through the air and just crashed into the water,” McDonald told 7NEWS. He described a desperate struggle as he punched and kicked the shark while it bit his board and pulled him under.
McDonald said he thought, “This is it. I’m so far out to sea, no one’s around, there’s no jetskis or anything and I’m at the mercy of this beast.” He eventually broke free and climbed onto his sail, remaining still until a friend paddled over from 50 meters away. Together, they made the 20-minute journey back to shore.
Despite the violent encounter, McDonald was uninjured, though his carbon fibre board sustained a large bite mark. He never saw the shark, even while underwater. “I might have seen a flash of colour — there was so much foam and kicking and I was punching it as well, and kicking it, trying to keep all my arms and legs intact,” he said.
Authorities issued a shark warning for Prevelly in the Shire of Augusta Margaret River following the incident. McDonald hopes to return to the water as early as Wednesday.
