A shark that bit a large chunk out of a surfer’s board on Monday has forced the temporary closure of a New South Wales beach and prompted surfing legend Kelly Slater to describe the man’s injury-free escape as “incredible”.
The Tweed Shire council confirmed Cabarita beach, located about 35km north of Byron Bay, was currently closed. They said no one was injured in the incident.
The council’s Facebook page noted that “fortunately, the bite missed the rider”.
Photos posted online show the surfer on the beach with a large, bite-shaped mark missing from his board, which was also snapped in half.
Video footage taken from a local beach cam shows a commotion in the water just before 7.30am.
The eleven-time world surf champion Slater expressed relief and fear, after seeing photographs of the bite.
“Incredible he’s ok,” Slater posted on Instagram.
“Great example of why I fear open ocean swimming so much. Surfboards have saved quite a few surfers with that tiny barrier.”
Surf Life Saving New South Wales said a boy was bitten by a shark at the same location less than two months ago.
“Just after 8am this morning the Surf Life Saving NSW state operations centre was alerted to an incident at the unpatrolled Cabarita beach,” the spokesperson said.
“Australian Lifeguard Service lifeguards … immediately worked with council to close the beach and put up signage to warn the public not to enter the water.”
Drones were sent up to surveil the ocean after the incident, they added.
