Surfer who was bitten by shark and dragged underwater recollects daring escape from beast
Alejo Santiñaque recounted the terrifying moment he was attacked by a shark while surfing on a remote beach in Australia.
The surfer was bitten by a shark(Image: alejo.santinaque/Facebook)
A surfer has spoken of his daring escape from the clutches of a brutal Jaws-like creature. Alejo Santiñaque recounted the terrifying moment he was attacked by a shark while surfing on a remote beach in Australia.
The 20-year-old says he was “very lucky” to survive the brutal ambush which happened while he was sitting on his surfboard waiting for a wave to hit on a beach north of Sydney.
He said he suddenly felt a “powerful impact and a strong tug on his foot” when he was bitten by the beast. “A shark had bitten me. It pulled me into the water, and my immediate response was to kick it as hard as I could to make it let go.” He said his escape was made harder when the shark became entangled in his surfboard leash, meaning he couldn’t get away.
In the end the cord was torn away from the board by the force of the attack and he was able to make a bid for freedom. He said: “Once it let go, I swam as fast as I could back to my board and towards the shore.
“Those moments were extremely intense because I had no idea if the shark would come back, so my only focus was getting out of the water. It was obviously a very intense situation with a lot of adrenaline, but keeping a clear head was crucial. From the moment I was bitten until I reached the beach, I focused on what I needed to do and avoided panicking.”
Mr Santiñaque’s friends were at the beach and helped him apply a tourniquet on his wound until the ambulance arrived and he was then taken on to hospital where he had surgery on his foot. He continued: “Considering what could have happened, I was very lucky. The bite tore through skin and muscle, ruptured one tendon and damaged a few others, but it missed any major arteries.
“Looking at how serious shark attacks can be, I know I got off lightly.”
But the surfer said he didn’t think badly of the shark and the incident will not put him off going back in the water.
“As surfers, swimmers and ocean users, we all know that even though incidents like this are extremely rare, the risk is always there.
“Sharks are not villains or monsters. They are wild animals and an essential part of the marine ecosystem. What happened was a very unfortunate accident, but it doesn’t change the love and respect I have for the ocean.”
