Surfer Severely Bitten at Bells Beach During Evening Session

On the evening of December 18, 2006, Peter Galvin, a 25-year-old surfer from Torquay, Victoria, was attacked by a shark while waiting for waves at Winki Pop on the south side of Bells Beach. Positioned approximately 100 metres from shore and 50 metres from a friend, Galvin was sitting on his white surfboard with his legs dangling in the water when the shark approached from behind and below, attacking his left calf. The shark, estimated at 2.5-3 metres in length, inflicted severe trauma to Galvin's left leg, including a deep laceration behind the knee that extended to the bone and a 15-centimetre laceration to the calf, along with multiple puncture wounds. A shark tooth was recovered from his wetsuit. Despite the severity of the injuries, Galvin fought off the shark and remained on his board, reaching shore with assistance from his friend Andrew Majernik and nearby bystanders. Paramedics David Brooks and colleagues applied pressure to control bleeding while Galvin was treated at the scene. He was then airlifted by helicopter to Royal Melbourne Hospital, where he underwent four surgical procedures including a skin graft. Galvin remained conscious throughout and was hospitalised for 11 days in serious but stable condition. Post-discharge complications led to two additional hospital admissions over the following weeks. Experts debated the species responsible. Andrew Fox from the Rodney Fox Shark Museum suggested either a great white or bronze whalers as likely candidates for cooler Victorian waters, while Terry Walker of the Marine and Freshwater Systems Laboratory proposed a broadnose sevengill shark as the probable culprit. The incident occurred in waters where fishermen had recently reported increased shark activity attributed to warming ocean temperatures. Seals had also been observed in the area in preceding days. Remarkably, Galvin later demonstrated philosophical acceptance of the incident, stating in 2007 that he harboured no resentment toward the shark and acknowledged that ocean activities inherently carry risks.