“I Punched It in the Back”: Horror Shark Encounter on Live TV Forced 3x WSL Champ To Take a Dangerous Step Once

Surfing pro, Mick Fanning’s name has been synonymous with a number of thrilling encounters throughout his career. Relative to his notable 2015 shark attack, a viral video resurfaced on the internet that presented the athlete’s experience while detailing the minutes of the incident. He tussled with a great white shark amidst the waters and escaped safely, further defending himself from it.   

In a TikTok video posted in 2022, the footage of Fanning’s swift escape was re-shared on the platform. He revealed how he tackled the shark and got out alive. Fanning was directly attacked, and the shark eventually got entangled in the leg rope of his surfboard. 

Mick Fanning survives a shark attack

As per the social media update, the 41-year-old athlete was rescued by a speed boat and was interviewed at the same time. He narrated his encounter stating that he felt a tug alongside his legs and jumped back in reflex. The interviewer enquired if he landed a few punches on the predator, to which Fanning replied, “I punched it in the back, yeah!”

Furthermore, the 3x WSL champion gave off the minutes of his encounter saying, “I felt something… it got stuck in my leg rope. And I instantly just like jumped… and then it just kept coming at my board. And I was like kicking and screaming.” Besides that, when asked if he was able to witness the infamous teeth of the big fish, Fanning said, “I just saw a fin, I didn’t see the teeth. I was waiting for the teeth to come at me as I was screaming.”

Read More: Terrifying Video Captured Great White Shark Opening Its Poisonous Jaws and Trying to Swallow a Surfer

Apparently, on 19th July 2015, the Australian surfer was participating in the J-Bay Open finals when the mishap happened. He was surfing at Jeffreys Bay in South Africa, alongside pro, Julian Wilson when the shark shoved Fanning, and took a beating in return. Surprisingly, the athlete yet openly revealed that he cultures a close affinity toward sharks. 

Mick Fanning has nothing against sharks

Despite the near-death experiences, the champ seemed to have taken it on a positive note. In an ad by the Balter Brewing Company, a number of Australians were seen singing against a pub backdrop holding beer mugs. Fanning chimed into the song, with his own notes. He said, “And for every time I don’t see a shark at the beach.”

Later on, The White Lightning added that he “still” loves sharks. Unlike many, Fanning chose the road to humor as his coping mechanism. The ad campaign, We Love Good Beer, was part of the 7th-anniversary celebrations of the Australian beer company, which gave the surfer the platform for making his above-said revelations. 

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The surfing icon’s optimistic perspective of his traumatic experiences is worth appreciating. Moreover, his stance stands as a signatory of incredible spirit in the sports community. What do you say? Tell us in the comments.