November 1st 2024.
Andy Nelson and Tim Ryan were out hunting for crays near Safety Bay, Western Australia. Little did they know, they were about to have a heart-stopping encounter with a great white shark.
As they swam low in the water, the mates suddenly found themselves dangerously close to a four-metre ocean predator. The shark circled them for what seemed like an eternity, while they tried to remain calm.
Nelson, who was leading the way, noticed the shark first and frantically signaled to Ryan. "He's giving me the shark signal quite enthusiastically," he later recalled in an interview with 9News. "I turned around and still had the image of a very large shark's head above me."
Ryan, who was right behind Nelson, remembers being close enough to touch the shark. "It came straight over my head, with its mouth slightly open. I could have reached up and touched it," he said. "We were definitely concerned."
But the danger didn't end there. While the two mates were 10 metres below the surface, Ryan's oxygen tank began to run low. "I was running lower and lower on air by the minute," he said. "The one thing you don't want to do is swim away from a white pointer, because your feet paddling is like bait."
In the end, Ryan had to make an ascent without any air left in his tank. It was a nerve-wracking experience, but they were both relieved to make it back to the safety of their boat.
A shark scientist later commended the pair on their response, acknowledging that their experience and calmness played a key role in their survival. "There's safety in numbers," Dr. Leonardo Guida said in an interview. "Always keep an eye out, face the animal, and try to stay calm. Avoid any erratic movements."
The two mates, now bonded for life by their harrowing experience, look back on it with mixed emotions. "Mates don't get any closer than that," Ryan joked. "We feel lucky to have had the chance to interact with such a huge apex predator," Nelson added. "We were very lucky."
As for future adventures, the two will likely think twice before diving into shark-infested waters. But for now, they can rest easy knowing they survived a close encounter with one of the ocean's most feared creatures. And if you want to stay updated on all the latest breaking news, sports, politics, and weather, be sure to download the 9News app on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
