Surfer escapes shark attack off Australian beach
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In this photo taken from video, Marcel Brunder, 37, holds his board as he looks out to sea after being attacked while surfing, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in the waters near Lorne, 140 kms. (90 miles) southwest of Melbourne, Australia. Surviving the attack with a scratch, torn wetsuit and teeth marks on his board, Brundler estimated the shark was a 3-meter (10-foot) great white shark. (Australia Broadcasting Corporation via AP)
A surfer was lucky to escape with a superficial scratch on his back, a torn wetsuit and teeth marks in his board when he was attacked by a shark on Tuesday off an Australian beach.
Marcel Brundler, 37, estimated the shark that grabbed his board was a 3-meter (10-foot) great white shark. He was surfing near Lorne, 140 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of the Victoria state capital, Melbourne.
In this photo taken from video, Marcel Brunder, 37, shows the teeth marks on his surf board after being attacked while surfing, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in the waters near Lorne, 140 kms. (90 miles) southwest of Melbourne, Australia. (Australia Broadcasting Corporation via AP)
Bundler said he punched the shark before making his escape by catching a wave.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"At first I didn't think anything of it, we have lots of dolphins in the water here, but then I realized it was big, much bigger," Brundler said.
"At some stage, it had me in its jaw. I was shouting and punching it while it attacked me," he said.
"I was really, really lucky this wave popped up out of nowhere," he added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lucas Von Graevenitz Sanchez said he watched the attack through his binoculars from the shore.
"The shark was massive," Von Graevenitz Sanchez said.
More News...
Police said Brundler was remarkably calm after the attack.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The shark left bite marks in his board and tore at his wetsuit ... but he has no injuries. He was very, very lucky," police Senior Constable Mick Atkinson said.
"There were four surfers in the water at the time and they paddled in pretty quickly after that," Atkinson added.
Despite the ordeal, Brundler said he would probably surf again next week.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Maybe not on my own though, it will be a little scary," he said.