"Shark Attack Survivors News Archive"

01/28/2010 Ashley Ramage ( Australia ) No Injury

Recent listing of shark attacks 2010 and Shark Attack Related Incidents in 2010.
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helmi
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Re: 01/28/2010 Ashley Ramage ( Australia ) No Injury

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Surfer's son a shark attack hero
Vanessa Marsh | 2nd February 2010

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Father and son surfing duo, Damon and Ashley Ramage lived to tell the tale of there first ever hostile encounter with a two-metre shark.

THE victim of last week’s shark attack has spoken about the terrifying incident and how his son’s warning may have saved his life — or at least his leg.

Ashley Ramage was surfing with son Damon at Archie’s Beach at around 4.30pm on Wednesday when the teen yelled, “Dad!”

“The way he said it, I just new something was wrong,” Mr Ramage said.

“I turned around to look at him and saw this big grey shape and a fin come out of the water at me.”

Mr Ramage said what he believes was a silky shark smashed into the back of his surfboard.

“I was pretty lucky to get a warning. Damon yelling gave me enough time to lift my feet out of the water,” he said.

“I just thought: ‘This can’t be happening.’”

Mr Ramage used his board to create a barrier between himself and the shark, which tried to attack from several angles.

“It was like the shark was head butting my board,” he said.

“Then it all went quiet and I thought it was underneath me so I was punching the water trying to get a lucky shot in. After that I jumped on my board and frantically paddled in yelling at Damon to go in.”

Thirteen-year-old Damon said he was shocked watching his father fending off the shark.

“I was really scared for my Dad,” he said.

“I knew it would be stupid to go over there but I didn’t know what to do. My mind was blank.”

Damon said he and Mr Ramage had been paddling away from the shore when the attack happened.

“It came from behind him in the shallower water,” he said.

“I was about 10 metres away when I saw the fin and yelled out. It was bigger than his board.”

Mr Ramage said he was relieved it was him and not his son who had got the shark’s attention.

“I’ve reversed the situation a few times in my head thinking what if it had been Damon. The thought is just horrifying,” he said.

Mr Ramage has been surfing for 14 years and his son for two.

“I have seen plenty of sharks at the Sunshine Coast but none have ever taken any interest in me,” he said.

“I honestly think that I was extremely unlucky. I have never seen a shark around Bundaberg.”

The avid surfer said he was shocked that he did not notice the shark before it attacked.

“It was one of the clearest days I have ever seen in Bundaberg,” Mr Ramage said.

“It was such a beautiful day and the water was crystal clear. I was surprised the shark came from the shallow water as well. You always think something will come from out further.”

The pair faced their fears on Sunday afternoon and headed to Nielson Park Beach for a surf.

“I know I was definitely feeling a bit jumpy,” Mr Ramage said.

“We wanted to get back out there and get that under our belts. We didn’t want anything to change. I was definitely keeping a close eye on Damon, though.”

Mr Ramage said he would not be surfing without a buddy for a long time.

“There is a lot to be said for surfing with a buddy,” he said.

“I don’t know what would have happened without that warning. I think we will be a bit more picky about where we surf from now on.”

http://www.news-mail.com.au/story/2010/ ... tack-hero/
sharkbait
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01/28/2010 Ashley Ramage ( Australia ) No Injury

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A BARGARA mum watched in horror as a shark attack unfolded in the surf at Archie’s Beach on Wednesday afternoon.--

Shark attack at Archie's Beach
Vanessa Marsh | 29th January 2010

Bronwyn Zelinski ran to pull her son Myles away from the water as a shark attacked a surfer at Archie’s Beach on Wednesday.

A BARGARA mum watched in horror as a shark attack unfolded in the surf at Archie’s Beach on Wednesday afternoon.

Bronwyn Zelinski was walking along the sand with her son when she saw the water begin to bubble and froth around a surfer, only 20m out.

She said the man slid off his board and began punching the nearby ocean.

“I just thought; “Oh my god,” and screamed for Myles (her son) to come back because he was walking further ahead near the water,” she said.

“The surfer was bashing the water on the other side of the board and then it all went calm.”

Ms Zelinski said the man climbed on his surfboard and quickly paddled back in.

“He looked really shocked and just kept looking over himself to see if he had been bitten,” she said.

“His young son was on a board in the water not far away at the time. I’d hate to think what would have happened if it was him that got attacked.”

Ms Zelinski and her sons live by the beach and swim there most days.

“I have never seen anything like that,” she said.

“He was only about 20 metres out to sea so it was a real shock.”

The family returned to the beach yesterday afternoon, but Ms Zelinski was keeping a close eye on her boys.

“I think that man will think twice about surfing again,” she said.

Lifeguard Riley McGregor was on duty at nearby Kelly’s Beach during the attack.

“The man came over afterward to let us know what had happened,” Mr McGregor said.

“He said the shark came for him a few times.”

Mr McGregor said the man’s surfboard had been bitten.

“There was a break in the back of the board,” he said.

“The man said the shark was grey in colour but that doesn’t really narrow it down.”

Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries manager of Queensland Shark Patrol Program Tony Ham said the main sharks caught in that area were tiger and whaler species such as bull sharks.

“Tiger sharks can be pretty aggressive,” he said.

“They have certainly been responsible for attacks on humans in the past.”

Mr Ham said the incident may have been a case of mistaken identity.

“The silhouette of someone on a surfboard is fairly similar to a turtle,” he said.

“They usually hang around this area for the turtles.”

He said about 70 sharks were caught off Bundaberg each year.

“It’s a fairly average number,” he said.

Surf Life Saving Queensland Wide Bay Capricorn regional manager Craig Holden said the attack was a timely reminder for swimmers to be aware of their surroundings.

“People need to avoid high risk situations like swimming at dusk and dawn, in creek and river mouths and near schools of bait fish,” he said.

“People always need to be on the lookout.”

Mr Holden said Bundaberg beaches had been closed about five times this summer due to shark sightings.

“Activity could be increasing but it’s hard to say right now.”


http://www.news-mail.com.au/story/2010/ ... rk-attack/
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