Brad Ross was surfing at Cabarita Beach near the Queensland border on Monday when a great white attacked, taking a huge bite out of his surfboard.
Ross was uninjured, but the unmistakable bite mark left on his board was a chilling reminder of just how close he came to a certain death.
In a message shared to Instagram, Ross said it had been a “hell of a week”.
“I just wanted to thank all my friends and family and our amazing community for all the love and support,” Ross wrote.
“I feel so grateful to be here and so lucky the universe had different plans for me.
“It’s a good reminder of how delicate and precious life is. Hug your family and tell them you love them.”
Witness Kane Douglas told 9News he saw an “explosion of water and foam” when Ross came toe-to-toe with the deadly shark.
“One part of the board went that way, his board was still attached to him,” Douglas said.
A five-metre-long great white shark was spotted on drone footage following Ross’ lucky escape.
Within hours, a nearby drum-line snagged a shark fitting that description but it broke free before it was able to be tagged.
The beach was closed by the local Tweed Shire Council following the incident.
Shark expert Dr Daryl McPhee from Bond University said sharks were expected in the area at this time of year.
“We anticipate seeing white sharks in the northern New South Wales region during this season as they track bait fish and the migrating whales,” he mentioned.
