Freediver Severely Injured in Great White Attack off Victoria

Henri Bource, a 25-year-old musician, survived leg amputation by a great white shark at a seal rookery; his companions repelled the shark's repeated returns using only bent handspears, his girlfriend entered the water to assist, and the incident is exceptionally well-documented across multiple published sources with detailed first-hand testimony.

On November 29, 1964, a significant shark incident occurred at Lady Julia Percy Island, located approximately 17 kilometers off Port Fairy in Victoria, Australia. The victim, a 25-year-old male musician and underwater photographer, was part of a group of approximately 40 divers from the Victorian Aqualung Club exploring the waters around the island. The diver entered the water at 12:45 PM to photograph seals and returned to the boat after completing his initial dive. At 1:30 PM, he re-entered the water with two companions, Dietmar Kruppa and Fred Arndt, both carrying small handspears. The three were freediving in water 30-35 feet deep with poor visibility, attempting to film a bull seal. Without warning, all seals in the vicinity disappeared. The divers, sensing danger through instinctual awareness, descended to 10 meters but could not locate the animals. As the victim surfaced, a 2.4-meter great white shark struck with tremendous force. The shark seized his left leg and dragged him underwater, shaking him violently. Despite attempting to reach the shark's eyes and snout, the victim was unable to defend himself effectively while being pulled deeper and deprived of air. The shark released him after the initial mauling, and the victim surfaced in shock, quickly realizing his left leg had been severed below the knee. Kruppa and Arndt immediately assisted, driving the shark away with their handspears during at least five subsequent approaches. The shark showed no aggression toward either man. The dive boat rapidly reached the scene, and the victim's girlfriend, along with other divers, entered the water to assist. A tourniquet was applied immediately upon reaching the vessel. The boat headed to Port Fairy, with the captain broadcasting a Mayday that included the victim's blood type and medical requirements. A doctor and ambulance met them at Port Fairy, and the victim was transported to Warrnambool Hospital, having lost 3.5 liters of blood. Notably, one diver observed the severed leg floating in the water, indicating the shark had not consumed it. The victim's remarkable recovery and continued involvement in marine documentation in subsequent years is well-documented, including participation in a 1968 shark documentary where the incident was recreated.