The bull shark. Photo: Malek Bee/Unsplash
Shark attacks are rare. In fact, according to the International Shark Attack Files, the odds of getting bitten by a shark are one in 3,748,067. But, in a sleepy town in eastern Australia, two attacks occurred on the same day, just forty minutes apart.
Crowdy Head is a headland on the coast of New South Wales, about as far east as you can go. The protected bay offers some surf, but it isn’t nearly as good as other east coast breaks like Kirra and Burleigh Heads. Despite the lackluster conditions, folks still paddle out in the muddy waters in hopes of scoring.
Earlier this week, Tim McAndrew joined friends at Crowdy Bay for an after-work surf. McAndrew had just paddled out when he felt something bump him on his right side.
“I thought it was one of my mates playing silly buggers, trying to scare me,” McAndrew told Nine.com.au. “I was in the water for a minute. I turned around to my right and said what the f— was that, saw a bit of red in the water, and realized I’d been bitten.”
McAndrew managed to make his way to shore where his friend patched him up with a first aid kit and drove him to the hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital, McAndrew learned that he wasn’t the only shark attack victim that day.
The other victim had been swimming laps when he was bitten. Luckily, both men sustained minor injuries and are expected to recover. Although neither men got a close look at the shark, bull sharks are frequent in Crowdy Head’s waters and are suspected to be the culprit.
