Shark Grabs Diver's Leg -- and Doesn't Let Go

"Australian Luke Tresoglavic, 22, was snorkelling on a reef about 1,000 feet off Caves Beach, about 75 miles north of Sydney, when a wobbegong shark two feet long bit him just below the kneecap and held on. "

Probably should have been:

"Australian Luke Tresoglavic, 22, was snorkelling on a reef about 1,000 feet off Caves Beach, about 75 miles north of Sydney. He either intentionally or unintentionally harrassed a wobbegong shark, and it bit him below the kneecap and held on. "

But who knows.

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Shark Grabs Diver's Leg -- and Doesn't Let Go

News from today: CANBERRA, Australia (Reuters) - A snorkeler attacked by a shark off Australia's east coast swam to shore with the predator gripping his leg and then drove to a lifesavers' club to have it removed.

Australian Luke Tresoglavic, 22, was snorkelling on a reef about 1,000 feet off Caves Beach, about 75 miles north of Sydney, when a wobbegong shark two feet long bit him just below the kneecap and held on.

"The shark just wouldn't budge so he held onto it as it was thrashing around and swam to shore," Tresoglavic's mother, Caroline, told Reuters Wednesday.

"It still wouldn't let got so he got into his car and drove up to the lifesavers' clubhouse nearby for help. Luckily he didn't panic or he could have ended up in trouble in the water."

Lifesavers removed the shark by hosing it with fresh water, but its minute, razor-like teeth left about 70 puncture marks. Tresoglavic then drove to hospital, but turned out not to need stitches, just a course of antibiotics.

The Tresoglavics buried the dead shark in their garden. Wobbegong sharks, are also known as carpet sharks because of their color, can grow up to 10 feet long and are unique to Australian waters, the national parks authority says.

Two species -- the banded and the spotted -- live in the waters around the state of New South Wales, and are known to scientists as Orectolobus ornatus and Orectolobus maculatus respectively. But which type attacked the diver is not known.

Yeah, I saw that too - it's a shame that the shark died.

FWIW, wobbies are known to do this from time to time (latch on) so caution should be used when harassing them...;-)

Cheers

James

Wobbies are evil! :twisted: I don't trust them at all! I'm always VERY cautious when I try to take pictures of them, the least little move from them and I'm outta there! and the buggers sure can grow! there's some huge ones down around Jervis Bay, this one time, at band camp (ooops wrong story) this one time I was in fish rock cave, and I saw my buddy lining up to take a pic of a Spanish dancer, every fin movement she made was kicking a big Wobby in the head, I tried attracting her attention but she was too focussed, I gave up and watched but the wobby just lay there taking a beating :| I think the funniest wobby story was when I was diving in JB once and a diver was standing on the bottom when all of a sudden his legs were spread apart as about an 8 foot wobby decided that the diver in the way of where it wanted to go wasn't any obstacle so just swam straight through his legs from behind! but for all there unpredictability they are pretty cool!

Here's a Reuters/AP photo of the shark:

Hardly noticeable

Hardly noticeable

I Dunno, if you didn't notice it taking your trousers off that night you'd have to notice it putting them on again the next morning!

The shark who always dreamed of being a remora...

Here's a Reuters/AP photo of the shark:

Hmm... that don't look like no wobby to me. More like a blindshark.