Surfer Struck Twice by Great White at Cellito Beach

On the morning of February 7, 2009, Durwin Keg, a 41-year-old surfer from Maroubra with three decades of surfing experience, was paddling at Cellito Beach in the Tasman Sea, approximately 200 meters offshore. Conditions were favorable—sunny weather, clear water, and four-foot waves. Keg was surfing with five other surfers when he paddled slightly further out and positioned himself to observe the horizon. Noticing a dark shape in the water about four meters away, Keg quickly identified it as a shark moving slowly behind him. He immediately began paddling toward shore, but the shark followed and accelerated as it closed the distance. As the shark approached, Keg paddled harder. The shark struck from beneath, hitting the board with considerable force and catapulting Keg into the water. When he regained his board, the shark circled and delivered a second strike. During this second encounter, Keg slipped into the water to use his surfboard as a shield. The shark grabbed the board and dragged Keg through the water, at one point causing him to briefly end up on the shark's back. As the shark breached, Keg remounted his board, screamed warnings to his fellow surfers, and began throwing punches at the animal. The shark submerged but remained nearby, following Keg for approximately 30 meters as he paddled to shore. The surfer reached safety without sustaining any injuries, though his white surfboard bore a significant dent from the encounters. The incident occurred in an area where police had received a prior shark sighting report. A pod of dolphins had also been observed passing through the area moments before the encounter. According to Keg's account, the shark was approximately 12 feet in length and was identified as a great white shark.