By Madigan Landry and Stan Shaw for ABC News
Australian surfer Andy McDonald with the remains of his gear after a close encounter with a shark. Photo: Supplied / Andy McDonald
Andy McDonald was wing-foiling at a local Margaret River surf break on Monday afternoon when he came face-to-face with a shark.
The 61-year-old was between the Margaret River Bombie and Boat Ramp breaks, near Prevelly, when the incident occurred.
McDonald said he had no idea the attack was coming.
"Just out of the blue - bang - it felt like a freight train," he said.
"Something came up from under the water and just propelled me up into the sky.
"I knew it was a shark attack."
The Prevelly regular recalled how he thought he might die.
"I actually fell on top of it, the shark, and I just started punching it," he said.
"It sort of dragged me underwater, and dragged the board and the sail under.
"And I thought, 'Well, this is it.'"
McDonald's experience marks the 18th encounter with a shark so far this year nationwide.
Glad to still have his friend
McDonald said the fearless actions of his friend Neil, who came to his aid, were "amazing".
"I lost the plot a bit and started screaming for help," he said.
"He [Neil] realised that it was more serious, and he looked across and he paddled straight for me, you know, from probably 50 metres away.
Margaret River local Neil Mattinson was wind-foiling at the same break when McDonald' was attacked.
He said he initially thought Mr McDonald had injured himself on his wing-foiling equipment.
"The equipment is quite sharp, it has lethal sharpness," Mattinson said.
"I was making my way over to him, thinking, 'Right, we can use leg ropes as tourniquets and whatnot.'
"Then I heard the word 'shark'.''
Mattinson said the risks to his own life didn't cross his mind.
"I never even thought about the what if," he said.
"I didn't see it as a choice. Somebody over there is badly hurt or in danger - I'll just get there as quick as I can.
"I'm so grateful to still have Andy."
Mattinson said, in hindsight, he believed the shark was still nearby as he approached.
"As I got closer, I could see what I now know were the foamy chunks from the board," he said.
"They were actually coming to the surface as I was approaching him, so I'm thinking the shark had it in its mouth and was underwater, and they just appeared."
The two men paddled more than 300 metres to shore together.
"He [Andy] was starting to sort of run out of energy a bit, cause the adrenaline was wearing off," Mr Mattinson said.
"He was he was pretty good until he got to shore, and then he was kind of starting to feel a bit wobbly."
McDonald said he did not see the shark, but the size of the bite gave him a good idea.
"[The bite] It's probably 350 to 380 millimetres in diameter," he said.
"It might have been three metres, three-and-a-half, somebody on the beach had said it looked like a juvenile white pointer bite."
The Department of Industries and Regional Development issued a warning for the Prevelly area and is urging beachgoers to exercise caution in the water.
- ABC News
