"Shark Attack Survivors News Archive"

12/20/2009 John Pengelly ( Australia )

Listing of the Shark Attack Related Incidents occurring in 2009. 2009 Shark Attacks
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helmi
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Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:23 pm

Re: 12/20/2009 Male (Australia)

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Man bitten by shark near Heron Is.

Liam Butterworth | 20th December 2009

A MAN has been airlifted to Brisbane with hand and arm injuries after a shark bite near Lamont Reef, 44 nm off the coast of Gladstone.

The man was spearfishing at 7.30am when he was bitten by a nine foot whaler shark and was transferred to Heron Island for medical attention.

He was then transferred to Rockhampton and was flown down to Brisbane for further treatment.

It is not known what condition the man is in.

http://www.gladstoneobserver.com.au/sto ... ear-heron/
helmi
Posts: 208
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:23 pm

Re: 12/20/2009 John Pengelly ( Australia )

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Shark bite 'didn't hurt', says diver
CHRIS BARRETT
December 21, 2009 - 5:31PM


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Shark attack victim John Pengelly, 19, in recovery after emergency surgery at Royal Brisbane Hospital. Photo: Chris Barrett

The teenage spearfishing champion attacked by a bull shark off Gladstone yesterday says he felt no pain, despite being left with severed tendons and arteries on his arm from the frightening confrontation.

John Pengelly, 19, spoke this afternoon for the first time about the attack at Lamont Reef, 80km east of Gladstone, that occurred while he was freediving with two friends.

He said he had just returned to the surface after shooting a Mangrove Jack fish when the shark struck.

Mr Pengelly praised the calm resolve of his friends, who used shirts to wrap his wounds before racing him back to Heron Island for medical attention.

"I was talking to my mate then I got hit from underneath by a bull shark...my mate said it was 2.5 to three metres," said Mr Pengelly, now recovering after surgery on his arm at Royal Brisbane Hospital.

"After he hit me it was just 'don't panic'. Both me and my mates looked at each other and told each other not to panic and made our way back to the boat.

"I trust my two mates that I dive with and they handled it well. If I wasn't diving with my partners I definitely wouldn't be here right now."

Asked whether the shark attack hurt, Mr Pengelly replied: "No not at all. Me and my two dive partners were actually having a laugh about it on the way back in to the island.

"The adrenaline must have still been running - there wasn't much pain at all until I got to surgery. The most I felt was his body hitting me, which was like attacking a football."

Mr Pengelly's half-hour journey back to Heron Island took much longer than it should have, however. As revealed by brisbanetimes.com.au today, a group of nearby fishermen on a larger, faster vessel refused to transport him and his friends back to land, leaving them to make their way in their five-metre fibreglass boat.

He said he was disappointed the fishermen did not offer to help, although they did radio through to Heron Island to report the incident.

"After I got hit there was a much bigger and [more] stable boat that could have got me there a lot quicker," Mr Pengelly said.

"Unfortunately they refused to help. They did manage to radio into Heron Island, I'll give them that, that definitely did help. But we were a bit disappointed that they couldn't get me in quicker.

"Apparently they were fishing overnight out there. It definitely did irritate us."

Mr Pengelly, who has regained feeling in his fingers but has been told to "take it easy" for 12 weeks and undergo intense physiotherapy, said he had "no hard feelings" against the shark that seriously wounded him.

He said the experience would not deter him from resuming spearfishing once his recovery is complete.

"We're divers in their waters. If he wanted to eat me he would have," he said.

"It was just an enquiry bite.

"I'll definitely be a bit more aware of their presence but I've swum with up to 10 at a time on previous weekends and they've never really seemed to bother me.

"Just wrong place, mistaken identity."

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensl ... -l9wj.html
helmi
Posts: 208
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:23 pm

Re: 12/20/2009 John Pengelly ( Australia )

Post by helmi »

SHARK BITES DIVER AT LAMONT REEF

Miranda Cashin | 21st December 2009

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GLADSTONE freediving champion John Pengelly was bitten by a three metre bull shark while diving at Lamont Reef early yesterday morning.

The 19-year-old suffered deep lacerations to his wrist and lower forearm while spearfishing at the reef, 44 nautical miles east of Gladstone.

After receiving treatment from medical staff on Herron Island he was flown to Rockhampton and air-lifted to Brisbane for surgical assessment.

At the time of print Mr Pengelly was in a stable condition.

Diving with fellow Curtis Coast Spearfishing members David Jenson and Nat Keene, it was their first dive of the day when the shark came from below and bit Mr Pengelly.

“The shark nipped him on the hand, but it was not an aggressive nip but an enquiry nip,” said Mark Brookes, president of Curtis Coast Spearfishing club, who was also diving at the time.

Mr Brookes said he was surprised by the shark’s strike as there seemed to be no reason for the shark to be aggressive.

“The reason spearfishers attract attention from sharks is when they shoot a fish it flaps around and grabs the attention of the shark. But John hadn’t shot anything,” Mr Brookes said. “It was a shock as it was totally unprovoked.”

Mr Jenson said it was simply a case of mistaken identity.

“There were two guys together and to the shark they probably looked like a turtle,” he said.

“John was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Mr Keene told The Observer sharks were “just something you deal with”.

“As spearfishers you know that you are going into a shark’s habitat. As lovers of the ocean we are respectful of the fish and sharks and the shark was just doing its job,” he said.

http://www.gladstoneobserver.com.au/sto ... mont-reef/
helmi
Posts: 208
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:23 pm

12/20/2009 John Pengelly ( Australia )

Post by helmi »

A 19-year-old man was bitten on his arm by a 3 m bull shark while spearfishing at Lamont Reef off Heron Island
( Queensland, Australia ).

Teenager attacked by shark
Sophie Elsworth
December 20, 2009 03:27pm

A TEENAGE snorkeler who was attacked by a shark in far north Queensland today managed to escape with only a bite to his arm.

A 19-year-old man was snorkelling at Lamont Reef off Heron Island in the Great Barrier Reef when he was bitten on the arm about 7.45am.

The man was taken by a dinghy to shore and was flown by helicopter to Rockhampton Base Hospital.

He was later flown to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital where he remains in a stable condition.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/stor ... 02,00.html
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