Victorian surfer's lucky escape after fighting off great white
A surfer has escaped almost unscathed after having to fight off a white pointer shark while surfing on the Victorian coast.
Marcel Brundler, 37, had puncture marks in his board and wetsuit after the attack near Lorne on Tuesday.
"At first I didn't think anything of it, we have lots of dolphins in the water here, but then I realised it was big, much bigger," Mr Brundler said.
"I'm no expert but this was a least three metres long."
"Then it kind of dived off, came back and circled me, and took a fair notch out of my board, circled me again, then it got me on my wettie, it got me on my hip," he told the ABC.
"Luckily, it's just a little scrape on my skin."
Mr Brundler said he punched and kicked his way out and rode a wave to shore.
"I was really really lucky this wave popped up out of nowhere."
Mr Brundler had just a little scratch on his back and was remarkably calm after the attack, police said.
"The shark left bite marks in his board and tore at his wetsuit... but he has no injuries. He was very very lucky."
He believes it was his thick wetsuit, to combat Victoria's chilly winter water, that prevented him from further injuries.
The popular surf beach has been closed and Fisheries Victoria has been notified of the attack.
Mr Brundler says he'll probably be back in the water next week.
"Maybe not on my own though, it will be a little scary," he said.
"So it's just something you live with, it's just a fish," he told ABC.
