A local surfer, Tim van Heerden was attacked by a shark while surfing at Lookout Beach in Plettenberg Bay this morning. Tragically he died after his femoral artery was severed during the attack.
Other surfers who witnessed the attack say that a Great White Shark of around 2 m in size was responsible.
Lookout beach was the scene of a shark attack this morning.
There have been quite a few sightings of Great White Sharks in Plettenberg Bay in recent times and the Sabrina Love Ocean Swim was nearly cancelled in December 2010 after 3 sharks were spotted along the swim route from Robberg Peninsula to Main Beach.
Van Heerden lost a lot of blood and his leg was badly bitten in two places. He was helped from the water by fellow surfers but had lost too much blood during the attack.
A local ocean swimmer from Plettenberg Bay said that he has spotted a number of sharks in the area. “If you hang around on the Robberg Peninsula long enough you pretty much guaranteed of seeing a shark, sometimes even really huge sharks”, said the distraught swimmer.
Our condolences to the family and friends of the victim.
I venture an opinion that could be an answer.
As a surfer from the days of long boards,
I downsized from 9 foot to 7ft 6 inches, and surfed up till 1997,
aged 69 years between Natal and effrey’s Bay
At times ranging from 04h30 an 17h00
I was among the first to surf after 7pm at night when an East Cape Municipality installed put floodlights at Eastern Beach.
Oh yes, I did see a few sharks.
My son Clive who is now in Australia and owns a few businesses,
including Ultipos and Smallbars, and myself, saw a large shark
at 05:00 come up between us. We could have touched it.
Moreover, it was going towards the beach.
How often does one hear of divers being attacked?
In their wetsuits with flippers and air tanks on their backs,
it’s their size that scares the sharks wary, which are normally cowardly.
Guys in wetsuits on pocket rockets look like young seals.
Perhaps sharks are wary of someone on surfboard over seven foot.
Sharks are normally cowardly.
telegram…. stop… never ever take the beauty of nature for granted…stop… enjoy it forever…stop…. never judge a moment in life….stop…. the sea is still for us to swim in….stop… but know the limits…stop…. frolick… stop…. fall about in the shallow waves…stop… love it…. do it again… stop… go beyond limits, that is your destiny…stop… i will keep swimming in the sea in plett, or anywhere else…stop… but i will keep remembering that just as there are road signs, there are sea-signs…. simply…. gypsy !!!
wall art…
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