Australian man a ‘hero’ after punching a large shark to release his wife
https://news.yahoo.com/australian-man-hero-punching-large-045348467.html
An Australian man has been hailed a hero after repeatedly punching a shark until it released his wife’s leg.
Police said the couple were surfing at Shelly Beach in Port Macquarie – four hours north of Sydney in the state of New South Wales – on Saturday morning when she was bitten twice and injured on her right leg.
“Her companion was forced to punch the fish until it let go,” police said.
Paramedics treated Chantelle Doyle, 35, at the beach before she was airlifted to hospital for surgery, where it is understood she remains in a stable condition.
One witness who was surfing nearby when the attack occurred called her husband a hero for taking on what appeared to be a great white shark up to 3m (10 feet) long.
“He started laying into the shark because it wouldn’t let go,” Jed Toohey told Australia’s Daily Telegraph.
“He saved her life… He was really incredible.”
The woman’s husband, Mark Rapley, played down his efforts, telling the newspaper he “did what anyone would have done in that moment”.
The Sydney Morning Herald said he jumped off his surfboard and onto a “juvenile great white” when it refused to release his wife.
Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce was quoted as saying: “This fella paddled over and jumped off his board onto the shark and hit it to get it to release her and then assisted her back into the beach.
“Pretty full on, really heroic.”
