Fisherman describes his horror as shark threw him off kayak
A Victoria fisherman has told of his terror after a three-metre shark knocked him from his kayak after he pulled it aboard.
Brett Palmer, 34, was fishing in Westernport Bay near Balnarring on Saturday night when after only 15 minutes he reeled in the giant catch.
"It was really carrying on, jumping out of the water," he exclusively told 7 News.
"She's bit the boat and missed me leg and whatever, that was pretty, pretty surreal."
His brother Luke managed to film the remarkable catch but once he stopped recording, their day took a dramatic turn.
"I heard him yell out a few swear words and then I heard a big splash and he was in the water," Luke revealed.
His kayak sustained several bite marks, highlighting just how close the terrified father was to becoming the bait as he thrashed around in the bay.
"I jumped straight up. [My brother's] kayak turned around real quick," Mr Palmer recalled.
"It was just scary, I don't like sharks."
Not wanting to push their luck with other sharks after having "a lot of burley in the water", the pair abandoned the overturned kayak and returned to dry land with their prized catch.
Unknown to them as they filleted their shark at home, the kayak sparked a major search to find a missing fisherman.
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The mystery began when a passing boat spotted the unmanned kayak drifting off Cliff's Beach on Sunday morning.
The captain-less vessel prompted the search involving the Water Police, the police Air Wing helicopter, Coastguard and Volunteer Marine Rescue members.
Police later found Mr Palmer at home and the kayak, containing his fishing gear, will be returned to him.
After thanking the search parties for their efforts, he had to come clean to his partner about his lucky escape.
"It cost me a lot of chocolate and roses ... trying to keep her sweet the old darl," he admitted.
