Surf-Skier Attacked by Large Shark at Cronulla

On the morning of January 2, 1938, Ernest S. Baker, a member of the Cronulla Surf Club, was surf-skiing near Doughboy Head at Cronulla on New South Wales's Kurnell Peninsula when he encountered a large shark estimated at approximately 12 feet in length. While skiing pleasantly through the water, Baker suddenly felt a severe bump that violently threw him from his ski. Upon surfacing, he found himself facing the shark churning the water just feet away. Baker quickly positioned himself on the keel of his overturned ski, using it as a protective barrier between himself and the predator. The shark attacked twice more, snapping at the surfer, but both times missed its intended target. A companion who witnessed the incident managed to frighten the shark away before it could mount a third attack, allowing Baker to safely reach shore. Despite the violent encounter, Baker sustained no physical injuries. However, evidence of the attack was clearly visible on his equipment—the ski bore deep indentations on both its upper and lower surfaces where the shark's teeth had made contact. The shark species was never definitively identified. This incident was documented in contemporary newspaper accounts, including the Courier-Mail of January 3, 1938, and later included in historical shark attack records maintained by researchers including G.P. Whitley and Victor M. Coppleson.