An Australian surfer has been dubbed a hero after risking his life to save a beached shark. According to Daily Mail, Paul Myles had been surfing at a beach on Great Ocean Road in Eastern View, Victoria. He spotted the sea creature lying on the sand.
What happened
He realized the shark was in trouble and wanted to help it. Myles first tried to prod it with his surfboard in an attempt to urge it to move back to the water, however, it did not work.
With time running out, he decided to carry the shark to the water himself. He picked it up and transported it safely back to the ocean with the deadly animal thrashing forcefully the whole time.
A close call
“I just thought I’d give it a chance,” Myles said to ABC, “I wasn’t sure if it was just disorientated or sick or whatever.”
“I thought I’d get it out in the water a bit further out, see if it would swim out to sea but it didn’t seem too well.”
Not an amateur surfer
Myles has been surfing at the beaches of Eastern View for over four decades and said he rarely comes across sharks, especially near the coast.
“I once saw one off the rocks about 20 years ago but that’s enough I think,” he said. He described the shark he rescued as a blue shark weighing about 20 kg.
Deemed as a hero:
People on social media have praised Myles as “brave,” “kind,” “a hero,” and even “a legend.” However, despite the danger of the situation, he was simply doing what he deemed to be the right thing to do.
A self-proclaimed “big softie” he said he hopes his good deed will earn him “brownie points” the next time he encounters a shark.
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