Shark bite survivor offers tips to avoid being attacked
A surfer bitten twice by a white pointer has offered advice to beachgoers on how to avoid being attacked.
John Campion was attacked by a shark while surfing near Streaky Bay on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula in 2012.
“Took me by the arm and took me under for a while, just had to fight it off, had a chance to hit it in the eye,” he said.
He made it to shore and then hospital with the help of family and friends.
Nerves in his arm were severed in five places, but surgeons at the Royal Adelaide Hospital were able to repair them.
“They’ve given my hand back, my fingers back, and my thumb back where before I had nothing,” Mr Campion said.
He says ocean awareness can easily save lives.
His advice is to take 15 minutes to watch the sea before diving in.
“If there’s any school’s of fish or anything unusual, well then, you know not to swim in there,” he said.
“You always look for rips and currents and that’s very important for the kids.”
So far this week there have been 11 shark sightings along South Australia’s coastline, from Semaphore to Normanville.
Fellow shark attack survivor Rodney Fox also had this advice.
“If you’ve seen sharks in the area, leave it for a few days until they’ve moved on,” Mr Fox said.
