Have you ever been in a life-threatening situation?
It could be a close encounter with someone armed, a car accident, or a fatal attack from a ruthless wild animal.
Just the thought of it can make anyone crumble in fear, let alone actually experience it.
That feeling of having your life flash before your eyes is something you wouldn’t want, not even for a lifetime.
Unfortunately, that time will eventually come and there is absolutely nothing that you could do to stop it from happening.
However, under such circumstances, you must be vigilant and composed even if it’s extremely hard to do while being under immense pressure given by the situation.
Take it from this World Champion.
Michael Eugene Fanning or more popularly known as Mick Fanning is a three-time World Champion Australian surfer. He was hailed the champion of the Association of Surfing Professionals/World Surf League (ASP/WSL)’s World Tour in 2007, 2009, and 2013.
But after being a three-time world champion, on July 19, 2015, Fanning got into a life-threatening situation during the Finals of the J-Bay Open held at Jeffreys Bay, South Africa.
Fanning was in the water together with fellow Australian and finalist Julian Wilson when what was suspected to be a great white shark swam next to him.
The apex predator got entangled with Fanning’s surfboard rope and he was dragged down into the water when the shark tried to chew off the rope.
“I was just sitting there. I was just about to start moving, and then I felt something grab, got stuck in my leg rope,” Fanning told WSL. “I instantly just jumped away, and then it just kept coming at my board. I was kicking and screaming.”
In his attempt to fend the shark off, Fanning tried to punch it in the nose. When the shark finally bit off the surfboard’s leash, that’s when Fanning started to swim back to the shore.
Thankfully, his competitor, Wilson, thought about saving Fanning first over the ongoing competition. So, he paddled towards Fanning and assisted him to safety until rescue arrived to secure both surfers’ safety.
Both surfers were commended: Fanning was praised for keeping his composure during the entire situation. While Wilson was hailed as a hero for trying to help Fanning get out of danger.
A traumatic experience.
Although nobody was harmed, the WSL Commissioner’s Office came to the decision to cancel the remainder of the event after the “shark attack.” Fanning and Wilson ended up splitting the prize money and both received second-place points.
“We are incredibly grateful that no one was seriously injured today. Mick’s composure and quick acting in the face of a terrifying situation was nothing short of heroic and the rapid response of our Water Safety personnel was commendable — they are truly world class at what they do,” WSL said in an official statement. “The safety of our athletes is a priority for the WSL and, after discussions with both Finalists, we have decided to cancel the remainder of competition at the J-Bay Open. We appreciate the ongoing support we have in South Africa and once again want to express our gratitude to the Water Safety Team.”
Following the incident, Fanning decided to lay a little low from joining competitions and surfing itself. He said that the shark attack brought him “emotional, mental trauma.”
At the end of the day, everyone’s glad that no one got hurt from the shark attack. It’s perhaps a reminder to everyone to be vigilant at all times, especially in deep waters, you’d never know what’s in there until you see it.
Watch the shark attack video below.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
