PORT ELIZABETH (South Africa) - 10-4-2001 - An East London businessman, Dunstan Hogan, 46, survived an attack by a Great White shark (Carcharodon carcharias) while he was surfing at Cape St Francis on Sunday.
Hogan, who has a crescent-shaped bite wound on his thigh, buttock and hip, is in hospital in Port Elizabeth.
Speaking from hospital on Tuesday, Hogan said: "I was lying on my board about 75m from the shore. It was about 9.30am.
'I just saw this grey mass and thrashing tail fin'
"I didn't see the shark coming as it attacked from underneath. I suddenly felt this enormous pressure, like being gripped in a vice.
"It wrapped its teeth around the board and my hip, and lifted me out of the water.
"I was still holding on to the board, and then I felt myself going under and I was forced to the bottom and my feet hit the sand.
"I opened my eyes and there was a lot of white water and sand and this big, dark shadow.
"I was trying to hold the board as protection, but couldn't hold on to it underwater and let go. I popped to the surface, pulled the board towards me by the ankle leash and got on to it.
Bite marks indicate the shark was about 3m long;
"I didn't feel any pain - probably because the water was cold, about 15 degrees. I started paddling to the shore and then the shark came for me again, coming from the shore. I just saw this grey mass and thrashing tail fin.
"When it attacked, I was lifted out of the water again. Then it left, and I started paddling again and caught a broken wave into shore.
"My wetsuit was all severed. I held it together and walked up on to the grass and lay there while someone went to call the doctor. Only then did I start to feel the pain," said Hogan.
He was taken in the back of a bakkie to a local doctor, Therese Jordaan, who stuffed gauze into his wounds to stop the bleeding. He was then taken to hospital in Port Elizabeth.
Experts say the bite marks on Hogan's board and body indicate the shark was about 3m long.
Surgeon Gerrie Steenkamp used 50 clips to close Hogan's lacerations, which had missed his main artery by 2cm.
Bayworld marine biologist Malcolm Smale said shark attacks could occur throughout the year.
He said there were between three and five attacks a year along South Africa's 3 000km coastline.
In the year 2000 there were 5 non-letal attacks in South Africa.
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"I opened my eyes and there was a lot of white water and sand and this big, dark shadow.
"I was trying to hold the board as protection, but couldn't hold on to it underwater and let go. I popped to the surface, pulled the board towards me by the ankle leash and got on to it.
Bite marks indicate the shark was about 3m long;
"I didn't feel any pain - probably because the water was cold, about 15 degrees. I started paddling to the shore and then the shark came for me again, coming from the shore. I just saw this grey mass and thrashing tail fin.
"When it attacked, I was lifted out of the water again. Then it left, and I started paddling again and caught a broken wave into shore.