Mon, December 29, 2008
The ones that nearly didn't get away...a group of Australian kayakers come face to face with a great white shark off Sydney's northern beaches.
The incident was filmed by a fisherman angling with a group of friends off a small boat nearby.
At first the fishermen make fun of the canoeists.
Then the mood changes abruptly: the five-metre shark buts one of the kayacks sending its oarsman into the water.
The fishing boat races off to his aid.
With the shark slowly circling, Steve Kulcsar spends a terrifying minute in the water before scrambling back into his kayak.
The three kayakers lash their craft to the fishing boat and hope for the best.
Eventually, the shark's curiosity wanes and it heads back into the deep.
The drama is over in 10-minutes.
Speaking afterwards, kayaker, Rick Darmanin, relived the moment he saw his friend tipped into the water.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) RICK DARMANIN, KAYAKER SAYING:
"This thing comes up behind the boat, it lifts up, it would've been eye-level with the guy going next to his kayak. He looked. We thought he's dead."
On the other side of Australia, the family and friends of Brian Guest gathered on a beach south of Perth.
The 51-year old disappeared in a cloud of blood while snorkelling with his son, Daniel.
Swimmers are being urged to take care at beaches in Western Australia after the suspected shark attack.
Some are calling for a cull but Daniel Guest says killing sharks would be wrong.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) DANIEL GUEST, SON OF MISSING MAN SAYING:
"They're out there. This is their territory. You know, and they're going to do what they're going to do."
Sharks are a regular threat around Australian beaches, the country has the unenviable record of being only second to the United States in the world league table of shark attacks.
Helen Long, Reuters.
