NATIONAL NEWS & VIDEO - The final heat of the 2015 J-Bay Open between Mick Fanning and Julian Wilson was put on hold just moments after it began when Fanning was attacked by what is suspected to be a great white shark in the lineup.
Fanning and Wilson were able to make it to the support boats unharmed, but the event was called off and the prize points and money were split between the two competitors.
Wilson had just completed the opening wave of the final, and Fanning was in the lineup waiting for another set wave when the attack occurred. In the footage, viewers are able to clearly identify a large fin approach Fanning before chaos erupts. Suddenly, the water churns into a fury. “Holy shit!” an event commentator exclaimed as Jet Skis in the lineup raced toward Fanning to pull him from the water.
Miraculously, Fanning came out of the life-threatening event unscathed. Moments after the attack, he gave a chilling description of the harrowing ordeal stating that he “got a punch in” while fighting for his life.
Mick Fanning takes us through the shark incident at the JBay Open:
“I was just sitting there and I felt something grab or get stuck in my leg rope and I instantly just jumped away.It just kept coming at my board and I was kicking and screaming. I just saw fins, I didn’t see any teeth. I was waiting for the teeth to come at me as I was swimming. I punched it in the back. I’m totally fine, I’ve got nothing wrong with me. There’s a small depression in my board and my leg rope got bitten and I’m totally tripping out.
I was just cruising and waiting for my turn, my opportunity and I knew Julian (Wilson) was down the point. “I was just about to get moving and start paddling again and all of a sudden I had this instinct that something was behind me.
I started getting pulled underwater and then the thing came up and I was on my board and it was right there. I saw the whole thing thrashing around but I was getting dragged under by my leg rope. I felt like it kicked me off but it was still there going and I was still attached to my board. I felt like I punched it a couple of times and then it was dragging me and then my leg rope broke.
Watch a video of the attack here:
