An Australian surfer has recounted a surreal encounter with a shark, stating that the animal appeared to "wink" at him moments before biting off his leg. Mel Ismail, 56, was surfing alone at Glenfield Beach in Western Australia when the attack occurred last month.
Ismail initially mistook the impact for a collision with a dolphin, as a pod was nearby. However, he soon realized he was being pulled underwater by a shark. "Something grabbed me and dragged me down into the water. And I knew it was a shark," he told Australian ABC News.
While submerged and having his leg bitten, Ismail said he was face-to-face with the shark and observed its eye. "I got to a point where I saw its eye," Ismail recounted. "It had a big black eye, and I was trying to get my finger into. I knew it had my leg."
He described the moment he believes the shark winked: "I personally reckon it gave me the wink, and then shut my leg off, and I knew it had taken my leg." The attack resulted in the loss of his right leg below the knee.
Following the incident, Ismail was rescued by another surfer who arrived at the beach and was willing to assist. He was subsequently taken to intensive care, where he was reported to be in stable condition but facing a long recovery due to his serious injuries.