The World Surf League J Bay Open final has been called off for the day due to the fact that Mick Fanning has just been attacked by two sharks as he was waiting for his first wave of the heat. The final had just got underway and fellow finalist Julian Wilson had already caught a wave when the sharks attacked Mick and bit through his leash. Luckily Mick was unharmed in the attack, although quite clearly shaken up.
Mick was quickly hauled from the water by the wave patrol teams and told Pete Mell that he first felt something nudging at his leg and kicked out, before realising it was a shark. In the live footage a massive dorsal fin appeared behind him as he sat on his board in the lineup, before Mick realised and dived from his board and started kicking and lashing out to try and scare the sharks away. Tour commissioner Kieren Perrow, announced that for safety reasons the event has been cancelled for today.
Never before have we ever seen sharks attack during a live event and it is a reminder just how dangerous it can be in the cold waters of South Africa. The clip of Mick Fanning being attacked is embedded below. Were you watching the J-Bay open and did you see the attack? How lucky do you think Mick was and would you want to paddle back out to finish the final if it had of happened to you?
