‘I was attacked by great white shark and had my abdomen ripped open’ | World | News

In 1963, Rodney Fox was merely an enthusiastic diver when he fell victim to a brutal shark attack.

His remarkable tale of survival unfolded on December 8 that year. The then 23-year-old was participating in the South Australia Spearfishing Championship at Aldinga Beach when a massive great white shark emerged from the depths and attacked him with horrifying force.

The shark’s jaws viciously clamped onto Rodney, ripping into his chest, stomach and leg in a terrifying real-life nightmare. Despite the excruciating pain and paralysing fear, Rodney fought back and managed to escape the shark’s deadly grip.

However, the injuries he sustained were gruesome. As blood filled the water, he battled to stay afloat.

Overcoming shock and fatigue, he kept himself alive long enough to be spotted. A fellow diver saw him and hauled him out of the water just in time, reports <a href=”https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/fishermans-chest-abdomen-ripped-open-36520702″ rel=”Follow” target=”_self”>the Mirror</a>.

But this rescue marked only the beginning of a lengthy and painful recovery journey. Rodney was rushed to hospital where doctors grappled with the task of saving his life.

Yet, through sheer grit and a fighting spirit, he survived a near-death encounter with one of the ocean’s most feared predators.

What sets Rodney’s tale apart is his subsequent actions. Rather than shunning the sea, he developed a fascination for sharks.

His near-death experience provided him with a fresh outlook and he dedicated his life to studying and understanding these creatures.

His personal encounter made him an authority on shark behaviour and contributed to altering people’s perception of these animals from being monsters to essential components of our marine ecosystems.

In a conversation with Stories of the South, he recounted the horrifying event.

He said: “I felt this huge crash and was hurled through the water. I thought a submarine had hit me, then I realised I was in big trouble. My first thought was ‘it’s eyes, I’ve got to gouge its eyes’ and it seemed to let me go so I tried to push it away and my hand disappeared down its mouth. I grabbed it in a bear hug, but knew I was going to drown so I went to the surface.”

Today, Rodney is hailed as a hero and a trailblazer in shark conservation. He established the world’s only sea floor shark cage experience, Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions.

In 2001, he founded the Fox Shark Research Foundation with the goal of educating people about sharks. Rodney stated: “Sharks are not all that bad, we have very few confrontations with them and we should look after all our fishes especially the great white.”

Rodney even served as a consultant on the legendary film, Jaws, and possesses an extensive private collection of memorabilia, including the cages featured in the movie and ancient shark teeth.

Rodney and his son Andrew still operate the expeditions and remain deeply committed to research.

He added: “When you see one coming towards you it takes your breath away. You’re looking into the eye of one of the creatures of the world that very few people have seen. No one can ever take away that feeling of seeing your first shark.”