A SHARK attack survivor who had is hand and leg ripped off has described it as “a bad day in the office”. Paul De Gelder, from Melbourne, Australia, said he could feel the muscle being “ripped off whilst drowning at the same time” during the attack. The 42-year-old was left swimming in his own blood […]
A SHARK attack survivor who had is hand and leg ripped off has described it as “a bad day in the office”.
Paul De Gelder, from Melbourne, Australia, said he could feel the muscle being “ripped off whilst drowning at the same time” during the attack.
The 42-year-old was left swimming in his own blood but has described being savaged by the shark as “just a bad day at work for me”.
Mr De Gelder was attacked by the bull shark in the Sydney harbour in 2009 and said the beast dragged him down as “two rows of 36 razor blades” shredded through his flesh.
The former Navy clearance driver was doing a routine military exercise with the Australian Navy when the shark ripped off his right lower arm and leg.
He said: “I was swimming on the surface of the water wearing a black wet suit, black fins and lying on my back like an injured seal floating around.
“The bull shark came from beneath me and grabbed me by the right leg and hand in the same bite whilst dragging me underwater.
“I could feel the muscle from my hamstring and hand being ripped off whilst drowning at the same time.
“It felt like two rows of about 36 razor blades on either side of my leg and wrist, just shredding their way through my flesh.
I could feel the muscle from my hamstring and hand being ripped off whilst drowning at the same time
Paul De Gelder
“I tried to put up a fight by poking it in the eyes but there was nothing I could do, I began to give up hope and I resigned myself to that fate and went with it.
“Until I realised that my hand had reached the surface and I wasn’t dead, the shark splashed in my face and swam away leaving me in a pool of my own blood.
“I saw the safety boat coming towards me, but I didn’t think I was going to make it in time, I thought the shark would have come back to finish me off.”
Mr De Gelder spent three months in rehabilitation, but miraculously returned to work for the Navy.
He wanted to return to his old job role as a diver but was instead given the opportunity to public-speak in 2012.
The double amputee is now a motivational speaker who raises awareness about the shark’s role in the ecosystem.
He added: “I became somewhat of a shark expert out of necessity, because the interest from that shark attack was so huge.
“The more I learned about them, the more I understood how at threat their populations are, the challenges they’re facing and about the roles they play in our ocean.
“Before the shark attack, I thought killing sharks was a great idea but now I love them, and I don’t get to swim with them as much as I would like to.
“My aim is to make more people fall in love with sharks like I have, people tend to protect the things they love and then we get to keep a healthy ocean.
“Since the attack, I have been across the globe to educate people on how to dive with sharks safely.
“I have never blamed the shark for the loss of my limbs as I chose a dangerous job and it was just a bad day at work for me.”
In 2011, he wrote No Time for Fear: How a Shark Attack Survivor Beat the Odds, detailing his recovery.
Mr De Gelder also participates in Shark Week, a week-long TV programming block on the US Discovery Channel dedicated to educating audiences about the beast, every year.
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