Spearfisher survives shark attack off Fiji, undergoes multiple surgeries
A New Zealand diver was bitten by a grey reef shark while spearfishing near Fiji on July 19, sustaining injuries that required four surgeries and a skin graft, but he expects a full recovery.
A spearfishering diver was attacked by a grey reef shark off the coast of Fiji on July 19, an incident captured on video that the diver posted to social media. The footage shows the shark circling beneath the surface before lunging at the diver and biting his calf, then performing a "death roll" that left the diver seriously injured. The diver, Henry Gibbs, a New Zealand-based ocean enthusiast, said he required four surgeries and a skin graft but is expected to make a full recovery.
"Four surgeries and a skin graft later, it's looking like I'll make a full recovery, which I'm hugely grateful for," Gibbs wrote in a post.
He noted that several grey reef sharks were present in the area and expressed surprise at the size of the animal.
"I never thought a shark of that size posed much of a threat, and that was a mistake," he said.
Gibbs emphasized that he was hunting in the shark's natural habitat and described the encounter as a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He hopes the video and his experience will help others avoid similar situations and learn how to respond if attacked.
"No hard feelings towards the shark. I was in its environment hunting its food. Wrong place, wrong time," he added.