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| British tourist grabbed shark by tail to save bathers | British tourist grabbed shark by tail to save bathers |
| (4 months later) | |
| A Briton on holiday in Australia grabbed a shark by its tail and tried to drag it away from people playing at the edge of the sea. | A Briton on holiday in Australia grabbed a shark by its tail and tried to drag it away from people playing at the edge of the sea. |
| The man, named as Paul Marshallsea, was on a beach north of Brisbane in Queensland when a siren was sounded to warn of a shark in the water. | The man, named as Paul Marshallsea, was on a beach north of Brisbane in Queensland when a siren was sounded to warn of a shark in the water. |
| Marshallsea, 62, a grandfather from Merthyr Tydfil in south Wales, ran to the shoreline and grabbed the shark by the tail. | Marshallsea, 62, a grandfather from Merthyr Tydfil in south Wales, ran to the shoreline and grabbed the shark by the tail. |
| The incident was captured by a local news crew, and footage shown on Sky News showed him wrestling the fish and trying to guide it towards deeper water. | The incident was captured by a local news crew, and footage shown on Sky News showed him wrestling the fish and trying to guide it towards deeper water. |
| But as the shark thrashed to free itself, Marshallsea fell into the waves and the creature turned and snapped its jaws inches from his leg. | But as the shark thrashed to free itself, Marshallsea fell into the waves and the creature turned and snapped its jaws inches from his leg. |
| Marshallsea said: "It just missed me with a bite, which was a fraction away from my leg. A shark that one minute ago was so docile now just nearly took my leg off." | Marshallsea said: "It just missed me with a bite, which was a fraction away from my leg. A shark that one minute ago was so docile now just nearly took my leg off." |
| Marshallsea, who was helped by another man, said his "instincts took over" when he saw a number of young children in the water, the Daily Mirror said. "It's shallow for about six yards where the shark was and a lot of babies and toddlers splash about there," he said. | Marshallsea, who was helped by another man, said his "instincts took over" when he saw a number of young children in the water, the Daily Mirror said. "It's shallow for about six yards where the shark was and a lot of babies and toddlers splash about there," he said. |
| "It could have been very nasty. My instincts took over and I grabbed the shark by the tail. I know it was dangerous but it almost looked beautiful. You have to respect a beautiful animal. When I dragged the shark to just over knee-deep, he turned on me and just missed me with a bite. It nearly took my leg off in a split second. It was that quick." | "It could have been very nasty. My instincts took over and I grabbed the shark by the tail. I know it was dangerous but it almost looked beautiful. You have to respect a beautiful animal. When I dragged the shark to just over knee-deep, he turned on me and just missed me with a bite. It nearly took my leg off in a split second. It was that quick." |
| The incident, reported to have happened at Bulcock Beach in Caloundra, about 55 miles north of Brisbane, was witnessed by Australian lifeguard Luke Turner. | The incident, reported to have happened at Bulcock Beach in Caloundra, about 55 miles north of Brisbane, was witnessed by Australian lifeguard Luke Turner. |
| Turner told Sky News he and a colleague had been following the shark all morning before it swam into the bathing area. "We chased it away and called in the helicopter for backup. Then a few hours passed and it happened to come back in. A British tourist jumped into the water as well as a wildlife rescue guy, and they pulled it back out to sea," he said. | Turner told Sky News he and a colleague had been following the shark all morning before it swam into the bathing area. "We chased it away and called in the helicopter for backup. Then a few hours passed and it happened to come back in. A British tourist jumped into the water as well as a wildlife rescue guy, and they pulled it back out to sea," he said. |
| "Me and my partner proceeded to follow it back out through the channel while it swam back out to sea." | "Me and my partner proceeded to follow it back out through the channel while it swam back out to sea." |
| The shark was reported to have been a 1.8-metre (6ft) dusky whaler shark, a species that rarely attacks humans. | The shark was reported to have been a 1.8-metre (6ft) dusky whaler shark, a species that rarely attacks humans. |
| Wildlife experts said the shark might have been so close to shore because it was sick or injured and was probably stressed and disoriented. | Wildlife experts said the shark might have been so close to shore because it was sick or injured and was probably stressed and disoriented. |
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