This story was taken from another forum
Account of events 2nd Feb 2010:
"Yesterday was another beautiful Perth day.
Until every divers worst nightmare occurred.
After hanging out for dive for a week the weather was good and had a dive buddy that was keen to dive in the forties (meters). Headed out of Rocko to a spot 21km west of Pt/Peron in 41m.
When we got there the water looked clean and little swell. Geared up straight away and went straight in.
Paul and I been at the bottom for 15min we had to come up for deco. We started our accent up the anchor rope I was in front Paul was behind. When I got to 9m I stopped, holding onto the anchor rope.
(This is the worst feeling in the world sitting there for 10min at 10m in 40m of water, you mind plays tricks on you your always thinking what if, trying to convince yourself it will never happen).
After stopping I looked over my right shoulder to look if Paul was with me but he wasn't there, then turning to my left to see if he was on that side, but he wasn't, instead there was 4 to 6m Great White eyeballing less than a foot my face.
I didn't want to believe what was next to me was real, but it was.
To describe how I felt at this time was fear. If I wanted to give him a pat on the head I could of, he was that close) the g/w swam 3m away towards the boat then turned around started heading back towards me.
At this time I was thinking this is it I'm dead, as he swam towards me I was thinking of bolting for the boat. But I decided just to play dead and stay still. He swam past me again this time a bit further away maybe a 1m, He started to swim down towards the bottom got about 8m away from me still heading down.
At this point I decided I forgo my deco and get the **** out of here, it was the longest 10m swim I ever done.
I swam as fast as I could heading for the tunnel of the cat hoping it might offer some protection.
Getting to the back of the boat I was just hoping my dad was there to help me in. (He normally has a rod in and you have to yell for him to take your gear off you).
I looked up to see him leaning over the back with his arm out screaming "its behind you, its behind you, get in the ****ing boat".
I was absolutely ****ting myself at this point, he was trying to pull me but it didn't feel like I was getting anywhere, but some how I ended up lying in the back of boat on my back gasping for air.
That was an unusual feeling, I felt relieved but scared. I guess it was shock. It seems likes ages I was lying on the floor but was probably only seconds, then thinking of Paul was still out there.
Getting my gear off as quick as I could to help Paul, he still hadn't come up.
I was taking my wetty off when I heard a scream of "help"
It was the scariest and most desperate scream I have ever heard!
I looked out and Paul was 20m from the boat and the shark was next to him. My wetty was round my ankles and wouldn't come off, so I just cut it off. Screaming at my dad to start the engines I raced up the front to cut the anchor.
As I was cutting the rope I heard my dad scream "it got him, its got him".
I looked over to Paul and the shark was in a frenzy and Paul was screaming for his life.
At this i'm yelling at dad, "drive".
We got to Paul and I don't know how I pulled him over the side of the boat. He was lying on his back as I did seconds earlier, gasping for air & with a tear in his eye.
Paul told us after-wards the g/w met him at his deco stop and pushed him to the surface, when we first heard the screams, then it kept coming in and having a go at him.
Every time it came at him he would hit it with his spear gun.
At one point he had the gun in its mouth.
I feel for dad, only two minutes after we had descended this shark came around the boat. For 20min he was in panic mode, normally he would start the motors if there was a problem and we would come up.
But this time there was a problem he didn't want us to come.
I think he has suffered more than us, we only had a few seconds to react, he had 20minutes of this monster swimming around the boat knowing his son and friend was down there.
How would you feel?, What could you do?.
At the end of the day we're alive, no benz, just a sleepless night and a happy family.
Will post some pics later, got to go and clean some **** out the boat."
Video - Perth Now
Account of events 2nd Feb 2010:
"Yesterday was another beautiful Perth day.
Until every divers worst nightmare occurred.
After hanging out for dive for a week the weather was good and had a dive buddy that was keen to dive in the forties (meters). Headed out of Rocko to a spot 21km west of Pt/Peron in 41m.
When we got there the water looked clean and little swell. Geared up straight away and went straight in.
Paul and I been at the bottom for 15min we had to come up for deco. We started our accent up the anchor rope I was in front Paul was behind. When I got to 9m I stopped, holding onto the anchor rope.
(This is the worst feeling in the world sitting there for 10min at 10m in 40m of water, you mind plays tricks on you your always thinking what if, trying to convince yourself it will never happen).
After stopping I looked over my right shoulder to look if Paul was with me but he wasn't there, then turning to my left to see if he was on that side, but he wasn't, instead there was 4 to 6m Great White eyeballing less than a foot my face.
I didn't want to believe what was next to me was real, but it was.
To describe how I felt at this time was fear. If I wanted to give him a pat on the head I could of, he was that close) the g/w swam 3m away towards the boat then turned around started heading back towards me.
At this time I was thinking this is it I'm dead, as he swam towards me I was thinking of bolting for the boat. But I decided just to play dead and stay still. He swam past me again this time a bit further away maybe a 1m, He started to swim down towards the bottom got about 8m away from me still heading down.
At this point I decided I forgo my deco and get the **** out of here, it was the longest 10m swim I ever done.
I swam as fast as I could heading for the tunnel of the cat hoping it might offer some protection.
Getting to the back of the boat I was just hoping my dad was there to help me in. (He normally has a rod in and you have to yell for him to take your gear off you).
I looked up to see him leaning over the back with his arm out screaming "its behind you, its behind you, get in the ****ing boat".
I was absolutely ****ting myself at this point, he was trying to pull me but it didn't feel like I was getting anywhere, but some how I ended up lying in the back of boat on my back gasping for air.
That was an unusual feeling, I felt relieved but scared. I guess it was shock. It seems likes ages I was lying on the floor but was probably only seconds, then thinking of Paul was still out there.
Getting my gear off as quick as I could to help Paul, he still hadn't come up.
I was taking my wetty off when I heard a scream of "help"
It was the scariest and most desperate scream I have ever heard!
I looked out and Paul was 20m from the boat and the shark was next to him. My wetty was round my ankles and wouldn't come off, so I just cut it off. Screaming at my dad to start the engines I raced up the front to cut the anchor.
As I was cutting the rope I heard my dad scream "it got him, its got him".
I looked over to Paul and the shark was in a frenzy and Paul was screaming for his life.
At this i'm yelling at dad, "drive".
We got to Paul and I don't know how I pulled him over the side of the boat. He was lying on his back as I did seconds earlier, gasping for air & with a tear in his eye.
Paul told us after-wards the g/w met him at his deco stop and pushed him to the surface, when we first heard the screams, then it kept coming in and having a go at him.
Every time it came at him he would hit it with his spear gun.
At one point he had the gun in its mouth.
I feel for dad, only two minutes after we had descended this shark came around the boat. For 20min he was in panic mode, normally he would start the motors if there was a problem and we would come up.
But this time there was a problem he didn't want us to come.
I think he has suffered more than us, we only had a few seconds to react, he had 20minutes of this monster swimming around the boat knowing his son and friend was down there.
How would you feel?, What could you do?.
At the end of the day we're alive, no benz, just a sleepless night and a happy family.
Will post some pics later, got to go and clean some **** out the boat."
Video - Perth Now
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