The nine-year-old surfer Bowie Daly survived a shark attack on Thursday at Tathra Beach on the south coast of New South Wales. Despite a destroyed surfboard, the boy escaped with just a scratch and a bruise.
Moments of fear in the water
Around 4:30 PM, Bowie was out with his surfboard when he suddenly felt a tug at the back end.
“I held on to the board, then I was briefly pulled underwater. When I resurfaced, I saw a huge back – and I realised it was a shark. That’s when I started screaming for help,” the nine-year-old recounted to ABC.
The shark let go of the board, and other surfers, including Bowie’s father, helped him get safely to shore. Bowie suffered only a small tear in his wetsuit, a scratch, and a bruise.
Surfboard completely destroyed
While Bowie remained almost unharmed, his surfboard did not survive the attack. “The shark left a huge bite and completely tore off the fin. My board is in pieces, totally wrecked,” said Bowie.
The incident is unusual for the region. Andrew Johnson, president of the Tathra Surf Life Saving Club, explained that no shark sightings are normally reported in this area.
“We’re not known for sharks, but of course, they’re always in the sea. Every surfer knows that and accepts it.”
Bowie doesn’t want to be put off by the shock. Thanks to a new board he was given by former pro surfer Kai Otten, he plans to return to the water in a few weeks.