A 16-year-old boy has recounted a close encounter with a shark that reportedly bit his foot while surfing at Middleton Beach in South Australia on Friday.
Oliver Tokic-Bensley said he was sitting alone on his board when he felt something grab his foot.
“I felt something sharp … I sort of jumped when it got me and then I kicked my foot away and luckily it didn’t hold onto me,” he told the ABC.
For a brief moment, the Year 11 student feared the attack could be fatal.
“I was like ‘oh s**t, (it) might come back and bite me somewhere else’,” he said.
Oliver said he then spotted a fin in front of him and assumed it was a bronze whaler because of its colour.
He paddled nervously about 70 to 100m back to shore, expecting the shark to follow.
“I thought it was going to come back and bite me again,” he said.
“I was hoping it wasn’t chasing me.”
Once onshore, Oliver called his sister and his parents, who were holidaying in the area over Easter, rushed down to check on him.
“They were pretty shocked,” he said.
He even took photos of his bite to show his friends.
Although the injury didn’t require an ambulance, Oliver went to hospital, where staff cleaned and bandaged the wound without needing stitches.
Despite the scare, Oliver said he was not afraid of sharks and would continue surfing once his foot healed.
“It’s all part of it. I went in there knowing there was a chance,” he said.
“It’s worth the risk.”
Looking back on the ordeal, Oliver said it added a thrill to his weekend.
“It was pretty exciting … sort of made my Easter weekend.”
South Australia Police confirmed they received a report of the bite.
Shark Watch SA founder Anton Covino told the ABC the mark on Oliver’s ankle might have been from a juvenile shark, but it was unclear what species caused the bite.
“There’s no real clear indication that there is a jaw around his ankle … but judging by the teeth marks, we can’t say what shark it is entirely,” Mr Covino said.
He also urged swimmers to avoid the water at dawn and dusk.
