New Zealand Doctor Fights Off Shark, Stitches His Wounds

[DandyDon]

And has a beer

Diver Fights Off Shark, Stitches Wounds, Has Beer

A New Zealand doctor fought off an attacking shark with a knife before heading ashore to stitch his own wounds and on to the nearest pub for a beer, reports said Tuesday.

James Grant was spearfishing near Colac Bay on the southern coast of New Zealand on Saturday when he felt the shark wrap its jaws around his leg.

"(I thought) bugger, now I have to try and get this thing off my leg," he told Radio New Zealand.

Grant, 24, said he didn't get a good look at the shark but the nature of several wounds suggested it was a sevengill shark and about 20 centimetres (7.8 inches) across at the jaw. Full-grown sevengills can measure up to 3.0 metres (10 feet) in length.

"I sort of just fought the shark off. The shark got a few stabs. The knife wasn't long enough though," he later told Fairfax Media.

After getting rid of the shark, Grant swam ashore and stitched his cuts using a first aid kit he kept in his vehicle for when his pig-hunting dogs were injured.

He and his friends then abandoned their fishing expedition and went to a nearby tavern where he was given a beer for himself and a bandage for the wound to stop blood dripping on the floor.

"It would have been great if I had killed it because there was a fishing competition on at the Colac Bay Tavern," Grant said.

 

[CuzzA]

Like a boss.

 

[kelemvor]

This may be the guy that the "crocodile dundee" character was based off.

"It would have been great if I had killed it because there was a fishing competition on at the Colac Bay Tavern," Grant said.

 

[USdiver1]

The article stated that the seven gill shark bit the good doctor on the leg, how the hell did that shark miss his balls? They must be "this .................................................................................... freaking big"!

This of course begs the real question: what brand of beer did he drink at the pub? Dog Fish Head IPA? LandShark Lager? Port Brewing Shark Attack Red Ale? or Beach Brewing's Hammerhead IPA?

 

[BertStevens]

 

[Steelyeyes]

What a stud.

 

[1bubbleoff]

A Dr. at 24 years of age....interesting.

 

[S R]

I understand stitching up the wound if that is necessary to keep from bleeding out but wouldn't that be asking for a nasty infection? I wonder if he was able to prevent this by taking antibiotics after the incident.

 

[CuzzA]

I understand stitching up the wound if that is necessary to keep from bleeding out but wouldn't that be asking for a nasty infection? I wonder if he was able to prevent this by taking antibiotics after the incident.

The news report left out the part where he poured vodka on his wounds and heated his dive knife to cauterize it.

 

[FinnMom]

A Dr. at 24 years of age....interesting.

In some countries you start medical school straight out of college-prep level high school and it's a 6-yr course. Basically college & med school without distribution requirements (no Brit. lit., no Art History, etc.).
Of course it could also be that "Doc" is a med. student with slightly enhanced title.

It does seem odd that a medical professional wouldn't have wanted the wound properly cleaned before stiching it shut.