A 60-year-old surfer was reportedly able to fight off a great white shark by repeatedly punching it in the eye after it chomped down on his arm and board on Saturday morning.
Nick Minogue was surfing off New Zealand’s Pauanui Beach around 11:30 a.m. when he was attacked by a nearly 10-foot-long shark, The New Zealand Herald reported.
“By the time I realized what was going on its teeth were definitely latched on to the front section of the board,” Minogue said in an interview with the newspaper.
Minogue said he suddenly remembered that sharks don’t like being hit in the eyes or nose.
“I actually shouted at it ‘f— off!’ and went to punch it in the eye and missed,” Minogue told the newspaper. “Then I pulled my fist back and shouted ‘f— off!’ again and got it right smack bang in the eye.”
Minogue said the shark then crunched down more on his board before disengaging and swimming off.
Minogue was about 50 yards from the beach when he was attacked. He said he was “definitely bumped by something” on his way back to shore.
The shark punctured Minogue’s skin in two places but fortunately, his injuries were not too deep.
Marine scientists told the newspaper that the bite marks on Minogue’s board were consistent with a white shark.
Minogue credited his full-length wetsuit with helping him escape more serious injury.
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