Incident Report
Surfer Bitten Multiple Times by Great White at South African Beach
East London, Eastern Cape·South Africa
A 29-year-old surfing instructor was attacked by a 3-4 meter great white shark at Cintsa Beach, East London, suffering severe lacerations to his legs and torso. A nearby surfer with a shark shield helped drive the shark away before beachgoers rescued him.
Please take a moment to consider the human impact of this event on the victim and their loved ones. The data presented here documents real events that affected real people and families.
Why this is notable
A large great white shark returned three or four times and dragged the victim underwater before retreating when a bystander's shark shield activated, providing a documented real-world case of the device's apparent effectiveness in deterring a sustained attack.
Incident Profile
Circumstances
Environmental
Individual
Location
Description
On the morning of July 22, 2011, a 29-year-old surfing instructor from East London, South Africa, encountered a great white shark while surfing at Cintsa East Beach, approximately 28 kilometers northeast of East London harbor in the Indian Ocean. The conditions were favorable for surfing, with what local surfers described as "insanely good" waves, and the weather was clear with calm winds. The incident occurred around 10:00 AM when the shark approached the surfer multiple times in rapid succession. According to witness accounts, the shark attacked persistently, eventually pulling the victim underwater. The shark released him when another surfer equipped with a shark shield paddled over to assist. The shark shield device appeared to be effective; witness Murray Elliott reported that "The shield pulsed and the shark swam away," and credited the device with potentially saving the victim's life. The surfer sustained multiple bite wounds across his body, including severe lacerations on his right lower leg, as well as bites to his neck, back, and stomach. Fortunately, medical assessment determined there was no major arterial or organ damage. Fellow beachgoers responded quickly, using the victim's surfboard as a flotation device to bring him to shore. A trained first-aider on the beach provided immediate care until emergency medical services arrived and transported him to St. Dominic's Hospital. Local surfers identified the attacking shark as a great white shark measuring between three and four meters in length. The incident was classified as unprovoked. Despite the severity of the encounter, the rapid response from other surfers and beachgoers, combined with timely medical intervention, resulted in the victim's survival.