Diver swims for miles to safety as shark stalks him off Australian coast

A British diver said a tiger shark stalked him while he swam four miles to short in Western Australia. (Reuters)

A British diver said he swam for miles to safety after a shark stalked him when he lost sight of his boat off the coast of Australia on Friday.

John Craig, 34, told Australia’s ABC News on Sunday he was diving off Shark Bay in Western Australia when his boat encountered engine troubles and swept away while he was underwater. He came up for air and the boat with his diving partner was nowhere to be seen.

"I had been splashing and screaming for some time and my heart rate was sky high," Craig recalled to the news site. "After five minutes it was clear I was on my own.”

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But Craig wasn’t the only one in the water. He soon spotted a tiger shark that was “within arm’s reach” away. Another sandbar shark was also circling behind him.

"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,” Craig said, describing it to be three times the size of him.

Craig added he was soon surrounded by the deadly animal that darted at him occasionally. In an attempt to save himself, he decided to swim to shore. The diver swam for four miles and eventually lost the tiger shark that was “following” him.

“I thought this was it, this is how I'm going to die,” Craig said.

Craig made it to the shore three hours later and said he was “exhausted” and could “barely stand.” Meanwhile, search crews were out in the sea looking for the diver. He eventually caught the pilot’s attention in a plane.

Craig said the near-death experience has left him “eternally grateful.”