15-year-old boy gets bitten by a shark

By Sasha Forbes
11 December 2008

Yesterday evening NSRI volunteers were called out to see to a 15-year-old boy who had been bitten by a shark. It was reported that the boy was fishing and caught a 2 meter long Ragged Tooth shark that had taken the bait off his surf rod, reel and line.

According to NSRI’s Plettenberg Bay Station Commander Ray Farnham the boy fought for an hour and a half to land the shark and while attempting to release the shark back into the sea, he had grabbed hold of the shark’s tail fin; however the shark swung around and bit him on his legs and torso.

Spokesperson for the NSRI Craig Lambinon also warns “we are advising anyone that faces a similar situation, that if they’ve caught a shark while fishing, they shouldn’t try and touch or grab the shark but should rather just leave the shark alone and cut the line. The hook will in any case would just disintegrate in its mouth after awhile, it won’t harm the shark.” The shark will try and defend itself if it feels threatened or feels as if it is going to be captured.

Lambinon said that the boy received forty stitches and remains in a stable condition.