Surfer Nick Minogue swung his fist at the deadly shark on Sunday. On Sunday morning, the 60-year-old was just turning to paddle back 300 metres to the shore on New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula.
But he suddenly felt a bang to the left side of his body and seconds later felt jaws clamp down on the front of his surf board.
He told none.com.au: “I’d been out for about two hours and was waiting just for a wave in and bang it hit me on the side of the arm on the elbow.
“All this water came up as well as a big shark’s head.”
He added: “I pulled my fist back and I yelled (expletives) for it to go away.
“My first punch landed 10cm behind the eye. I pulled my fist back and got it direct hit.
“I was just fixated on the eye looking back. I didn’t want to punch anywhere near its teeth.”
Mr Minogue said that after his second punch, the shark rolled and began to ease off.
He continued: “It slowly started swimming off… I turned around and paddled for about 20 to 30 metres before it came back for another look.
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The tourist was the first to shout out to Mr Minogue when the beast broke the water.
The surfer added: “He (the tourist) was amazed by the shark’s torso and how it was bigger than me. He saw it immediately and he initially shouted…”
He only learned of the tourist’s attempt to help him when he was back on shore.
The German tourist contacted Mr Minogue on social media after the ordeal.
Mr Minogue said he did hear the tourist yell out for help when they battled against the waves.
When he was back on the beach, Mr Minogue noticed some watery blood seeping out his wetsuit sleeve.
He realised there was a deep scratch on his arm where the shark’s teeth had caught his wetsuit.
A few days after his encounter, a 3.5 metre white pointer shark was spotted in the same area.
However, Mr Minogue is unsure whether it is the same shark.
He has since joked that he still intends to enjoy surfing.
He added: ”I won’t stop but I’ll be more wary.
“If it happens [to you], just hit it as hard as you can, the nose, eye and gills.”