One bite from a shark left Border surfer Dylan Puttergill, 14, with 250 stitches – but all his limbs intact.
The Merrifield College Grade 9 scholar was ambushed while surfing off The Haven on the Wild Coast on Thursday morning.
A 2.5m-long shark grabbed his right leg, sinking its teeth into his shin below the knee and his thigh above it, leaving a 40cm half-circle of toothmarks.
Three rows of bitemarks are visible below the knee.
The 55kg youth was sitting on his wafer-thin, high-performance board at a slabby left-hander surf spot called “Gusta’s”, named by his surfing mom and dad, Theresa and Phillip, when the water “exploded”.
Despite surface-to-bottom visibility in cool water on a perfect, partially clouded day, Dylan said he did not see the apex predator shooting up from below and smashing into him torpedo-style. “I was boosted into the air and my board shot out sideways.
“It was so fast, but it let go immediately. I saw it from the side and it was about 80cm from the top of its fin to its belly. It was grey on top and white below. My dad thinks it was a Zambezi.
“I was completely shocked. I slowly paddled 50m to shore, looking behind me but I never saw it again.
“I ran my hand down my leg and felt this massive lump and saw the holes in my wet suit. As soon as I got to land and tried to stand up all the blood ran out over my foot.”
With help from a friend he managed to walk the 100m home.
His dad Phillip cut the suit away from the injury and immediately wrapped his son’s leg in all the swabs he could find.
Dylan said: “It throbbed and I could see bone.”
Phillip, who owns an engine and power tool dealership, said he called a friend who owned a helicopter and who happened to be in his aircraft in East London. He flew in and airlifted Dylan to Life St Dominic’s.
There it was assessed that Dylan needed a plastic surgeon.
He was moved to Life Beacon Bay where, after a tense wait in the emergency section, his son underwent surgery from 9pm until 11pm.
Dylan’s mom, Theresa, quipped that by the time the plastic surgery was completed: “We were so exhausted we needed a nip and tuck.”
Phillip said he had surfed at The Haven for 45 years and had only seen three sharks.
While they were told there had been a lot of sardine-related animal activity just before they arrived, when the family went in for their surf the sea was quiet.
He said they had electronic shark protection devices, but only used them at a “sharky spot” a few kilometres up the coast.
Dylan said he did not like wearing the device because he could “feel the shocks” in his leg. — mikel@dispatch.co.za
Border surfer, 14, unfazed by Wild Coast shark bite
The Merrifield College Grade 9 scholar was ambushed while surfing off The Haven on the Wild Coast on Thursday morning.
A 2.5m-long shark grabbed his right leg, sinking its teeth into his shin below the knee and his thigh above it, leaving a 40cm half-circle of toothmarks.
Three rows of bitemarks are visible below the knee.
The 55kg youth was sitting on his wafer-thin, high-performance board at a slabby left-hander surf spot called “Gusta’s”, named by his surfing mom and dad, Theresa and Phillip, when the water “exploded”.
Despite surface-to-bottom visibility in cool water on a perfect, partially clouded day, Dylan said he did not see the apex predator shooting up from below and smashing into him torpedo-style. “I was boosted into the air and my board shot out sideways.
“It was so fast, but it let go immediately. I saw it from the side and it was about 80cm from the top of its fin to its belly. It was grey on top and white below. My dad thinks it was a Zambezi.
“I was completely shocked. I slowly paddled 50m to shore, looking behind me but I never saw it again.
“I ran my hand down my leg and felt this massive lump and saw the holes in my wet suit. As soon as I got to land and tried to stand up all the blood ran out over my foot.”
With help from a friend he managed to walk the 100m home.
His dad Phillip cut the suit away from the injury and immediately wrapped his son’s leg in all the swabs he could find.
Dylan said: “It throbbed and I could see bone.”
Phillip, who owns an engine and power tool dealership, said he called a friend who owned a helicopter and who happened to be in his aircraft in East London. He flew in and airlifted Dylan to Life St Dominic’s.
There it was assessed that Dylan needed a plastic surgeon.
He was moved to Life Beacon Bay where, after a tense wait in the emergency section, his son underwent surgery from 9pm until 11pm.
Dylan’s mom, Theresa, quipped that by the time the plastic surgery was completed: “We were so exhausted we needed a nip and tuck.”
Phillip said he had surfed at The Haven for 45 years and had only seen three sharks.
While they were told there had been a lot of sardine-related animal activity just before they arrived, when the family went in for their surf the sea was quiet.
He said they had electronic shark protection devices, but only used them at a “sharky spot” a few kilometres up the coast.
Dylan said he did not like wearing the device because he could “feel the shocks” in his leg. — mikel@dispatch.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos