'I must be blessed': Surfer saved from shark by perfectly timed wave
Cronulla and North Cronulla beaches were still closed on Monday after a shark knocked a surfer off his board.
He says he was dragged down in the water but was saved by a wave and got away.
Roie Smyth said he felt like a lucky survivor after his brush with death.
“I thought he grabbed my leg and started pulling me under and then, bang, and that’s when I seen him,” he said.
A life guard witnessed the close encounter, according to Sutherland Shire Council beach services manager Brad Whittaker.
“A member of the North Cronulla Shark Tower did see a splash and a fine at the time that that occurred,” he said.
The predator left a dent in Mr Smyth’s surfboard before a wave came just in time.
“That wave probably put him off; just felt him spin back under the water,” he said.
“I was like, yeah, I must be blessed.”
The beach was closed until at least Tuesday but the encounter did not keep everyone out of the water.
A second shark sighting at about 4pm did get people moving though.
