Shark takes huge bite out of surfer’s board: 'It bit right behind him’

Surfer escapes after shark bites massive chunk from board

An Australian surfer narrowly escaped injury after a shark bit a large piece out of his board at Cabarita Beach, New South Wales, on Monday, August 18. (Credit: Kim Falvey via Storyful)

An Australian man escaped a shark after it took a huge chunk out of his surfboard at Cabarita Beach, New South Wales, earlier this month. 

The backstory:

Local news outlets reported that Brad Ross was surfing near Cabarita Beach when a shark bit his surfboard, splitting it in two.

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Kim Falvey captured footage showing Ross holding his broken surfboard with two hands, highlighting the large bite-shaped hole.

What they're saying:

 Falvey told a media outlet that Ross was sitting on the board when the shark approached. 

"The man was sitting on his board and the shark literally bit the board behind his butt," she said. 

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A 9-year-old girl recently bitten by a shark on Florida's Gulf Coast joined her family and doctors at Tampa General Hospital on Thursday to talk about her recovery. Leah Lendel was snorkeling with her family at Boca Grande on June 11 when a shark bit her, leaving her hand "hanging by a little piece of skin," according to a witness.

Dig deeper:

Tweed Shire Council confirmed that Surf Life Saving NSW was alerted to the Cabarita Beach incident.

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A drone surveillance operation was then launched, and a 5-meter great white shark was later captured and released from a SMART Drumline at Norries Headland, near Cabarita Beach.

Big picture view:

In June, a 16-year-old boy was seriously injured in a shark attack at Cabarita Beach.