Sharks are often called the lions of the sea and rightly so, they look menacing, can be
immensely powerful and can quickly turn a human into a tasty snack.
However, shark attacks are actually very rare, they mostly aren’t interested in humans.
Of course there have been plenty of brutal attacks though, so join us as we count 10
of the most brutal shark attacks.
Dangerous Diving As you’ll find out watching this video diving
for abalone is a risky activity.
In 2004, 2 friends were doing just that off the coast of California when Randy Fry was
massacred by a huge great white shark.
His friend Cliff Zimmerman was above water and didn’t realise what was happening, he
just heard a loud “whooshing” sound and felt as if a boat flew past him.
Zimmerman saw a fin and the blood stained water which was the point he realised he had
to get out of there immediately.
Fry’s remains were discovered a day later, his head was completely removed from his torso
and it’s said that he died instantly from the attack.
Dangerous Diving Pt. 2 Terry Manuel was doing exactly the same thing
as our previous victim on the list, only this was back in 1974 and in South Australia.
He was just finishing up when a huge great white assaulted him at 25mph.
It hit him so hard that he was thrown out of the water.
Manuel’s friend saw what was happening and rushed to pull him in with his air hose.
He was able to grab Manuel’s arms and tried to pull him up but the shark wouldn’t let
go of Manuel’s legs, and ended up completely ripping it off.
Manuel bled to death before he could get any medical attention.
Sinking Ship Looking at numbers alone, this may be the
worst shark attack ever.
Back in 1909 a French liner called La Seyne collided with a Ship called Onda.
There was a dense fog off the coast of Singapore, making it impossible for the ships to see
each other.
La Seyne had a lot of people aboard when it sank very quickly, there was not even enough
time to get everyone onto the still floating Onda.
Those who didn’t make it aboard the Onda were quickly attacked and devoured by sharks.
It’s estimated that around 100 people lost their lives that day including the captain
who went down with his ship.
David Lilienfeld David Lilienfeld was a 20 year old bodyboarder
who was destined for great things and was already a champion.
He was with his friends and family in the water when he was attacked by the infamous
great white shark.
His right leg was quickly ripped off.
David’s body washed up on the rocks where his father and brother sat with him until
the ambulance and police took his body away.
Some blame National Geographic for his death.
This is because they were filming their show “Shark Men” nearby and dumped a lot of
chum into the water to attract sharks, and it looks like they succeeded.
Unhappy Honeymoon Ian and Gemma Redmond were just married and
enjoying their honeymoon vacation.
While Gemma was relaxing on the beach, Ian was snorkelling nearby.
It seemed nothing could ruin their day, when a shark suddenly attacked Ian while Gemma
helplessly watched from the shore.
The shark severed one of Ian’s arms and tore off one of his legs.
Ian must have died instantly from his injuries because he was quickly recovered but by the
time the doctor took a look at him, he had already died.
Elio Canestri A more recent attack, happening in April 2015,
13 year old surfing champion Elio Canestri was surfing with seven others reportedly in
an area that was banned to swimmers because of the risk of shark attacks.
The youngster was 50ft out into the sea when the large shark struck from below, forcing
him off his board.
Witnesses described the shark biting into Elio’s stomach, right arm and right leg.
A boat was rushed out to his rescue but sadly he did not survive the fatal attack.
Omar Conger Guess what Omar Conger and Chris Rehm were
diving for?
Yup.
Abalone.
They were off the coast os Santa Cruz when a 16-ft great white shark took Conger and
shook him between its jaws with great force before pulling him below the water.
Then, the shark came back for seconds going towards Chris at full speed with Omar still
in its mouth.
Just before the shark would reach Chris, it changed direction and let Omar go.
Sadly by the time Chris went to rescue Omar he was already dead.
Family Vacation Disaster A French teenager was on a family vacation
off the coast of Madagascar when they were snorkelling.
The 15 year old girl named Sarah was floating with her sister in the water when she was
brutally attacked by a shark that literally sliced her body in half at the torso.
Her sister witnessed the entire event and saw the shark drag a part of Sarah’s body
away with it.
Sarah was the fifth person to be killed by sharks off the island in the past 2 years.
Marcia Hathaway On a sunny day back in 1963, Marcia Hathaway
spent an afternoon with her fiancé Frederick Knight on the beach.
They were in the waters of Sydney’s Middle Harbour when tragedy struck.
Just one day before there had been 66 shark sightings reported in the area.
It’s unclear if they were aware of this, but if they were, it didn’t stop them from
going for a swim.
Hathaway had only just gotten into the water when she was attacked by a ferocious shark
that sunk its teeth deep into her right leg.
Knight tried to fight it off and though he succeeded, it was too late.
He got her to shore but Hathaway died in the hospital after losing too much blood.
Rodney Fox Finally a shark attack that doesn’t end
tragically.
Rodney Fox was a spearfishing champion and was set to defend his title in 1963.
During the competition, a great white shark attacked him at his waist, tearing it to shreds.
Miraculously, Rodney survived.
He needed 462 stitches in his chest and 92 in his right hand and arm.
Apparently the wet suit was the only thing that kept his internal organs from spilling
out into the ocean.
Very few people can say they’ve survived a great white attack, so the stars definitely
aligned for Rodney Fox.