Mick Fanning, a three-time world pro surfing champion, fought off a shark during the finals of the J-Bay Open in South Africa's Jeffreys Bay on Sunday and it was all caught on camera because the competition was being broadcast live.
Videos show Fanning in the water with his surf board when the shark's fin pops out of the water behind him a split second before he was attacked. A YouTube video of the attack had received more than 2.7 million views on YouTube as of Monday.
The shark knocked Fanning off his board and rescuers on jet skis quickly arrived to scoop him up,
reported Sky News. Fanning escaped without serious injuries,
according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
"I was just sitting there and I felt something just get stuck in my leg rope, and I was kicking trying to get it away," said Fanning. "'I just saw fins. I was waiting for the teeth."
Fanning said he punched the shark in the back in an effort to get away from it, noted the Morning Herald
Fanning was competing with fellow Australian Julian Wilson in the open's finals, but organizers announced the competition was canceled and they will split the winning prize.
"I'm happy to not even compete ever again," said a shaken Fanning. "Seriously, to walk away from that, I'm just so stoked."
Wilson said he was swimming toward Fanning when the attack happened,
noted Australia's News.com.
"It came up and he was wrestling it, and I saw he got knocked off his board," said Wilson. "I was like, 'I've got a board, if I can get there I can stab it or whatever, I've got a weapon.'"
Fellow surfers expressed relief on social media that Fanning and Wilson survived.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.