PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - A Wellington spearfisherman had a close call with a great white shark in Nature’s Valley when the shark got hold of his catch, a 9kg muscle cracker, and dragged him by his speargun line about 50m into the ocean.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesman Craig Lambinon said the local NSRI was alerted to the incident just after 10:00 on Wednesday morning.
Lambinon said the fisherman Theodore Prinsloo, 47, had been spearfishing in Nature’s Valley when, what is believed to have been a 5m great white shark, grabbed his catch and pulled him about 50m into the ocean.
“The fisherman then managed to disconnect the line from his speargun. He then swam to shore without incident,” Lambinon said.
NSRI volunteers managed to recover the buoy that was attached to the line of his speargun. The remains of the muscle cracker were also still attached.
“When the fisherman collected the buoy at the NSRI base, he reported that he would be back spearfishing the following day.”
NSRI Plettenberg Bay crewman Nathan Heart holding the remains of the Mussel Cracker Fish and the recovered line and flotation buoy. Photo: NSRI
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