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'I was fading pretty quickly': Surfer phoned family after shark attack

A surfer who miraculously escaped the jaws of a shark as it attacked him in waters off WA said he frantically phoned family to tell them he loved them.

Alex Travaglini, of Margaret River, was surfing at Cobblestones Beach, south of Perth, on Monday when he was attacked by a four-metre-long Great White.

“A friend of mine that was sitting maybe three or four metres away got scared by something and he said ‘there it is’,” Mr Travaglini told 7 News from his hospital bed.

“(He) started paddling towards the shore and two seconds later I felt something grab me and it's bit my left leg and the struggle began.”

Alex Travaglini speaks from his hospital bed. Source: 7 News
Alex Travaglini speaks from his hospital bed. Source: 7 News

The father of two had to wrestle his way out of the shark's jaws. He said pain wasn’t a concern as the shark latched onto his leg, because survival mode had kicked in.

“All I could think of was getting rid of the bloody thing and getting back to shore,” he said.

The Margaret River father knew he had a fight on his hands. He said the shark “kind of let go” and he used his board as a shield.

But that’s when the predator bit his other leg and he came face to face with the predator.

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Paramedics and fellow surfers rush to the beach to help the father of two. Source: 7 News
Paramedics and fellow surfers rush to the beach to help the father of two. Source: 7 News

Mr Travaglini realised he had only one option: he had to get rid of his board.

“I remember seeing the shark right in front of me and it turned around and pretty much opened its mouth and all I could think of was, 'shove that board in his mouth',” he said.

“Somehow at that same moment a wave came just where we were and I managed to catch it and body surf it into the shore.”

He’s called the surfers who came to his aid “legends,” but once on dry land he had a phone call to make to his family.

“(I) made sure they knew I loved them and hopefully I was going to pull through but at the time I felt like I was fading pretty quickly,” he said.

Mr Travaglini (pictured with his family) needed surgery to both legs. Photo: GoFundMe
Mr Travaglini (pictured with his family) needed surgery to both legs. Photo: GoFundMe

The father said he tried to avoid telling his partner and two kids he’d been attacked by a shark.

He didn’t want to worry them, so instead he told them he was badly hurt with cuts on his legs.

Once paramedics got him into the helicopter, the father’s pain became unbearable, even though he was heavily sedated.

“I was kind of thinking I was going to pass onto the other side so my head wasn't in the right space at the time,” Mr Travaglini said.

“It was pretty scary.”

The Margaret River man has since had two operations on his legs. He doesn’t know how long it’s going to take, but he hopes to make a full recovery.

He added that the ordeal won’t make him stop surfing.

“Well, it's my passion and I love to do it, and obviously I'd love to do it again,” he said.

“I'm pretty sure I will do it again.”