Buzz
Luck often strikes when least expected. Every day, somewhere, someone experiences a stroke of good fortune, whether it’s surviving a life-threatening event, avoiding a job loss, dodging an accident, or escaping financial ruin. Among those fortunate few are a rare group of individuals—those who somehow made it out alive after a shark attack.
There are roughly 400 to 500 known species of sharks inhabiting the world’s oceans. Despite their reputation as the ocean’s fiercest predators, only a small number, about 12 species, are known to attack humans. Although some of these attacks have led to fatalities or permanent injuries, sharks aren't the mindless killers often depicted in movies. In fact, the average annual number of unprovoked shark attacks over the past five years has been around 80, with 2020 experiencing only 57 attacks, 10 of which were fatal.
Surviving a shark attack is an unforgettable ordeal. If someone manages to escape such an encounter, it’s a moment worth celebrating. Here’s a list of ten individuals who came dangerously close to death but managed to survive a shark attack.
10. Saved by a Drone
Matt Wilkinson, a professional surfer, was paddling near Sharpes Beach in Australia in 2020 when he unknowingly had a shark trailing him. He heard a splash beneath his board but continued surfing, not seeing anything around him. Fortunately, a drone operator, Beau Monks, was using a drone to monitor the waters and spotted the shark.
Monks immediately alerted Wilkinson, warning him of the shark’s proximity. He advised Matt to make his way to the beach, which he did. It wasn’t until Matt reached the shore and saw the drone footage that he realized how close the shark had been. The shark was just moments from attacking his leg when it seemed to be distracted by the noise from the drone. If not for the quick thinking of the drone operator, Matt might have been in serious danger that day.
Incidentally, 18 of the 57 unprovoked shark attacks in 2020 occurred in Australia, making it the second-highest number of attacks in any country.
9. Spearfishing Surprise
In 2019, Jonathan Hernandez, a professional boat captain and fisherman from Florida, was spearfishing with friends off the coast of Abaco Island in the Bahamas when a shark attacked him. The force of the attack initially made him believe that the fishing boat had run over him. Hernandez was bitten on his left calf but managed to swim to safety before the shark could inflict further damage. Thanks to his friends, they applied a tourniquet to the wound within a minute or so, preventing significant blood loss.
Hernandez believes the attack was likely caused by the rise in tourist-oriented shark feeding operations, where humans actively feed sharks. This has led to the sharks associating humans with food. The shark that attacked Hernandez was likely hunting for a meal, and his experience could have ended in disaster if he had been alone at sea that day with no one to assist him. Just days before his attack, a college student was tragically killed by a shark while snorkeling in the Bahamas.
8. A Foot Away from Disaster
In 2019, Austin Reed, a 19-year-old student, narrowly avoided a shark attack while surfing with his brothers and friends around 2 pm at Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina. The shark grabbed his foot and pulled. By the time Reed managed to free his foot, it appeared as though a knife had sliced both the left and right sides of it.
Reed was rushed to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, where he underwent surgery to treat the wound he sustained.
The United States saw the highest number of unprovoked shark attacks in 2020, with 33 incidents. However, only three of these attacks resulted in fatalities. While the U.S. led in the total number of attacks, Australia topped the list for deadly shark encounters, with six fatalities that year.
7. Fight Off a Shark, Snap a Selfie.
In 2015, Braxton Rocha, a 27-year-old spear fisherman, was about 60 yards offshore on Hawaii’s Big Island when a tiger shark attacked him. Rocha recalled that at one point, the shark had his leg clenched in its jaws. Driven by instinct, he fought back, and after punching the shark in the head, it released its grip. Despite his leg being nearly torn off, Rocha managed to swim to safety. He was later helped by his friend and fellow fisherman, Shannon Pasco, who got him to an ambulance.
Rocha went on to take selfies and videos of his gruesome injury, which he shared on YouTube and Instagram. After undergoing a three-hour surgery, it took 100 staples to close the deep wounds.
6. Really…During a Competition?
Mick Fanning, a three-time world surfing champion, fought for his life during a shark attack while competing. Known for his surfing prowess, Fanning added an unexpected victory to his list of achievements when he successfully fended off a shark during the J-Bay Open in South Africa. The attack occurred just as he was about to catch his first wave in the final, with the entire incident captured on live television. As Fanning waited for his wave, a shark’s fin appeared behind him.
Fanning didn’t notice the shark at first. Once he realized, he paddled away, but it was already too late—the shark had spotted him and was closing in. The shark collided with his surfboard, causing him to lose balance and fall into the water. Fanning reacted quickly, punching the shark on its back and driving it away, managing to avoid injury. Rescue boats in the vicinity came to his aid, and he was safely brought ashore. The most heart-wrenching part of this terrifying encounter was that Fanning’s mother watched it all unfold on television, fearing for her son’s life.
This attack took place in 2015, coincidentally during the same competition where Matt Wilkinson was also participating.
5. Overboard for 28 Hours
In 2013, Brett Archibald fell overboard during a surfing trip in Indonesia. It happened at night, and in the darkness, no one noticed his fall. Initially, Archibald believed it was the end, but he managed to survive. For 28 hours, he remained afloat in the water.
Archibald’s ordeal began when a combination of food poisoning and seasickness hit him. He woke up in the middle of the night feeling sick and went to the boat’s railing to vomit, only to fall overboard. While adrift, he was bumped by seagulls and even a shark. Fortunately, the shark lost interest, deeming him an unappetizing meal. After 28 hours of harrowing survival, Archibald was spotted by an Australian skipper among the many boats searching for him and was rescued for medical treatment.
4. A Close Encounter with a Great White
Rodney Fox, a renowned filmmaker and conservationist, narrowly escaped death at 23 when he was attacked by a great white shark during the South Australia Spearfishing Championship at Aldinga Beach, south of Adelaide, on December 8, 1963. During the brutal encounter, Rodney tried several times to fend off the shark, including attempting to gouge its eyes. His hand was severely injured when it was caught in the shark’s mouth as he tried to push it away.
At one point, the shark succeeded in dragging him toward the ocean floor, but Rodney managed to escape just in time before it could end his life. His injuries were extensive, requiring 462 stitches to close the wounds. His ribs were shattered, his diaphragm punctured, and his lungs torn. Most people would have used such an attack as a reason to abandon ocean diving, and the world would have understood. Yet, instead of retreating, the attack motivated him to dedicate the next sixty years of his life to shark conservation.
3. The 13-Year-Old Who Survived a Shark Attack
In 2018, Keane Webre-Hayes survived a great white shark attack at just thirteen years old, making him one of the youngest shark attack survivors. While searching for lobsters in Leucadia, California, just north of San Diego, Keane was attacked by the shark. Thankfully, three men in a nearby kayak rushed to his aid, helping him reach the shore safely.
After the attack, he was quickly airlifted to a hospital where he underwent surgery. Despite the traumatic experience, the teenager was eager to return to the ocean immediately. However, it wasn't until nine months later that he had the chance to do so, making his return in dramatic fashion by spearfishing in the deep waters of the ocean.
2. Punching for Survival
In a dramatic escape, Dylan Nacass managed to fight for his life during a shark attack while surfing at Bells Beach, Australia, in 2020. When he first noticed the shark, Nacass paddled as fast as he could to get away, but the shark gave chase, eventually grabbing his leg. Nacass reacted quickly, landing two powerful punches on the predator.
A local man, Matt Sedunary, noticed the commotion and rushed to assist Nacass. Initially, Sedunary thought the screams were just part of a joke between friends. However, when he saw the fin, he realized the terrifying truth—that Dylan was under attack by a shark.
1. Man Fights Off Shark to Save Partner’s Life
On a Saturday morning in August 2020, Chantelle Doyle, an environmental scientist, was up early working on her Ph.D. While staying at her parents' home near Port Macquarie, New South Wales, with her partner Mark Rapley and their young son, Hamilton, she decided to take a break and surf with her partner. They were both surfing at Shelly Beach when a 10-foot great white shark attacked her, leaving serious wounds on her right leg.
Rapley’s response made headlines across the nation and even beyond. When he saw his partner in distress, he paddled urgently toward her, leapt onto her back, and unleashed a series of punches to the shark’s head and near its eye. The shark eventually released her and swam away. Other surfers in the area also rushed to help. Like Rodney Fox, Doyle and Rapley are now dedicated to increasing understanding and promoting conservation of this feared species.
