Shark attacks kayaker in Moreton Bay and sinks his craft
Lucky escape for shaken paddler who lost the back of his kayak to a huge sharkA 39-year-old paddler can count his lucky stars after a huge shark bit the back off his 20ft kayak while he was paddling in Moreton Bay this afternoon (April 2, 2017).
As his craft began to sink he made an emergency Triple 0 call that may well have saved his life.
The shaken paddler was with a group of nine people when his kayak was attacked around 8km east of Woody Point en route to Mud Island just east of Brisbane Airport in Moreton Bay.
Water Police responded to the man’s Triple 0 call and were able to track his exact location by using incoming aircraft to Brisbane Airport.
The shark attacked in the flood-affected muddy Moreton Bay waters after the recent passing of ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie over SE Queensland. A large bull shark was found dead in a puddle in Ayr after the same cyclone passed to the north days earlier.
Murky estuaries are considered to be high-risk environments for shark attacks, but you wouldn’t bet on one biting the back off your 20ft kayak as you went for a paddle.
The Sunshine Coast man was said to be visibly shaken when rescued by water police just before 4pm on Sunday.
His damaged (formally) 6.5 metre kayak was also recovered from the water, sporting a large hole from where the shark had bitten into it.
The uninjured man from Maroochydore returned to his vehicle at Bulimba Point, where he was said to be glad to be out of the water.
Sergeant Gordon Thiry from Brisbane Water Police said it was very fortunate they were able to find the man in time.
"We would encourage anyone heading out on the water to always wear a life jacket, carry an EPIRB and make sure you let someone else know where you’re travelling to and how long it will take," he said.
Moreton Bay is a famous shark feeding and breeding area and there have been some massive tiger, white and bull sharks sighted around Peel Island in recent years.
A Hawaiian kayaker died in 2013 after a shark attacked his foot dangling over the side of his craft.
Great white sharks have approached kayakers on the Eastern Seaboard before and one pair were rescued off Long Reef when a huge shark nudged their yaks.
But when it comes to lucky escapes you don't get much closer than this!
Here are some SharkSmart tips to avoid attack.
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