Drifting diver found on beach - Australia

[DandyDon]

'I thought this is how I’m going to die'

A DIVER who swam a gruelling 7.5km after being stranded at sea has described how he thought he was going to die as a huge 4m tiger shark stalked him off the Gascoyne coast.

Shark Bay man John Craig said he became separated from his vessel on Friday afternoon, between Denham and Cape Peron, due to a “series of unfortunate events” while spearfishing when he got his spear stuck under a rock at the same time his friend in the boat had mechanical difficulties that caused it to drift away.

His friend raised the alarm that Mr Craig was missing just after 4pm.

After calling out, splashing and screaming, Mr Craig realised the boat wasn’t coming back and that he had an unwelcome visitor.

“My heart rate was sky high. I put my head in the water to check I was in the same place and suddenly saw a huge 4m tiger shark approaching within arm’s reach,” he said.

“It was easily the biggest tiger shark I’ve been in the water with and that’s saying something having worked as a dive instructor for over 10 years. I quickly turned and saw another large sandbar whaler circling behind me and it was at that point I decided to give up on getting to the boat and save myself.

“I knew immediately that I had to try to calm down in order to survive.

“It (the tiger shark) was definitely trying to work out what I was and whether I could be ‘on the menu’, but each time it approached I used my spear gun to block its path.

“After about two minutes of this dance I thought ‘I have to get out of here’ and started swimming for shore.”

Mr Craig said getting back to land was “pure endurance”, but the shark followed him keeping pace with him behind his fins.

“I have to admit that at this point … I thought this was it, this is how I’m going to die,” he said.

Mr Craig said once he got into a rhythm with his swimming the shark started cruising further behind him.

He said he swam for about three hours, covering four nautical miles, and once he reached the shallows he was aware of the search crews in the area but couldn’t get their attention in his camouflage wetsuit.

Incredibly sore, Mr Craig walked for another half hour, but was eventually spotted by a search plane on a remote beach.

“I just thought about my wife and how worried she’d be. I just wanted to tell her I was alive,” he said.


Locals, police, Shark Bay marine rescue volunteers and the Department of Fisheries were all involved in the two-and-a-half-hour sea and air search, which ended at 6.30pm on Friday - thankfully just before sunset.

Mr Craig said he wanted to thank everyone involved in his rescue saying he was “eternally grateful”. “I’m sure I’ll be buying beers for years to come”.

Shark Bay Volunteer Marine Rescue commander Greg Ridgley said Mr Craig’s presence of mind to save himself in shark-infested waters was incredible.

“I just can’t believe anybody could do that,” he said.

 

[drrich2]

A great blessing he made it out alive. Wow. I wonder how long it’ll take him to get past it psychologically? Not all wounds are physical.

Richard.

 

[tarponchik]

I bet he used a snorkel while swimming.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

due to a “series of unfortunate events” while spearfishing when he got his spear stuck under a rock at the same time his friend in the boat had mechanical difficulties that caused it to drift away.

Like no anchor? No radio? No boating skills whatsoever?

 

[Wingy]

Hats off to him - well done, that's a superhuman effort. It's part of the coast known as the shipwreck coast and it's not called shark bay for nothing. I'm amazed at this guys tenacity and mental strength. I've been on boats under full sail that have gone backwards in the current and wind that skirts the continent there. Frequent footage of hundreds of sharks feasting on massive baitballs pop up regularly on YouTube. It's a tight knit community and fraternity so his mate on the boat would've been doing everything possible to get it all sorted.

Interesting news piece - I've never heard anyone call a tiger shark a sandbar whaler - how flattering, your journos feel the need to translate.

ETA - we have pretty strict legislation here re boating. At the very least you need to have done a recreational skippers ticket to take any vessel out to sea. It's also an area where the main industry is fishing so likelihood of anyone being at sea without knowledge of basic boating skills is pretty slim.

 

[DandyDon]

I've never heard anyone call a tiger shark a sandbar whaler

A local name, perhaps. Wikipedia says that the Tiger shark and Sandbar shark are both of the Carcharhinidae family, for whatever that's worth. The is also a Sand tiger shark in a different family, none called whalers on that site anyway

 

[drrich2]

From the linked article - “It was easily the biggest tiger shark I’ve been in the water with and that’s saying something having worked as a dive instructor for over 10 years. I quickly turned and saw another large sandbar whaler circling behind me and it was at that point I decided to give up on getting to the boat and save myself."

Perhaps he meant he saw another shark, which was a large sandbar whaler? That's how I initially interpreted the statement, especially considering he called the 1st one a tiger shark. Someone using a short, easy name doesn't seem likely to momentarily switch over to a long, complex one (2 syllables vs. 4), only to switch back to calling it a tiger shark again. He also proceeds to speak as though the tiger shark (singular) is his sole concern, but being circled by 2 of them.

Richard.

 

[Wingy]

Ok - that explains it - the common 'local' name for a 'sandbar tiger shark" is grey nurse shark which we all know are harmless hippies - sounds more better "if it bleeds it leads" when put that way.

 

[Wingy]

British diver tells of swimming almost five miles to escape shark

Found this - know I understand the 'sand tiger' comment. Lucky guy.