A man riding a foilboard was unexpectedly launched into the air by a large shark in a terrifying incident that was captured on camera. Andy McDonald was enjoying his daily surf session at Prevelly Beach in Western Australia when the incident occurred on November 10. McDonald was using a foilboard, a type of surfboard equipped with a hydrofoil that lifts the board out of the water, along with a wingfoil sail.
Surveillance footage recorded the moment the foilboard was dragged underwater with McDonald attached to it, his wrist leash getting tangled with the shark. Surf cameras captured the foilboarder struggling in the water next to the massive shark after being struck by the animal, which he likened to being hit by a speeding train. McDonald recounted the shark propelling him into the air, feeling as though he was riding on top of it.
Despite the intense encounter with the shark, the 61-year-old McDonald managed to fend off the shark and escaped without any injuries. His foilboard, however, suffered significant damage, with a noticeable chunk bitten out of it. Neil Mattinson, a friend of McDonald, mentioned that the seriousness of the situation dawned on McDonald when they reached the shore.
Experts are working to determine the type of shark involved in the attack and plan to analyze DNA extracted from the board for identification purposes. While a shark warning was issued for the area following the incident, the beach remained open. Despite the scare, dedicated surfers, including McDonald, were back in the water the day after the shark encounter.