THIS tough nut has been struck by lightning and bitten by a snake – but a shark attack was the scariest of his near-death experiences.
Florida lad Erik Norrie has a knack of getting himself into life-threatening trouble, even claiming he’s been punched by mad monkeys.
But the shark encounter – in The Bahamas in 2013 – was the most terrifying of the lot.
After dipping into the waters for some snorkelling and spearfishing, he started swimming back to his boat.
It’s when he felt something latch onto his leg.
Recalling the gruesome encounter, he told Fox Tampa Bay: “As I look back, (the shark) was just finishing his bite and ripping and swimming off, and you could see a piece of my leg in his mouth.
“I immediately threw the spear down with the fish because there was an enormous pool of blood around me and that shark was swimming all through the blood, sort of looking around, for more.”
His wife, father-in-law and four daughters were waiting back on the boat as the Jaws-style scene unfolded.
As the beast circled, Erik’s brave father-in-law decided to jump in to protect him.
Erik said: “(It was) pretty courageous on his part.”
Erik was helped back to the boat and rushed to tie rubber bands around his leg to slow the bleeding.
Meanwhile, the family scrambled to call for help over the boat radio.
A doctor holidaying nearby came to their aid and helped get Erik to a local hospital.
Erik said he was fearing for his life.
He said: “That was a tough ride. I really did think I was going to die.”
He was then transferred to Tampa General Hospital, where he eventually recovered.
A devout Christian, he said his faith helped get him through.
He had multiple skin grafts to help repair his bitten leg.
If a shark approaches you, marine biologists commonly say the worst thing to do is act like prey.
Expert Ryan Johnson in 2022 said: “If you act like prey, they are possibly going to treat you like prey. Don’t panic, don’t thrash, don’t try to get away.
“You should hold your ground and 99.9% of the time … it’ll go on its way.”
Adventurer and TV star Bear Grylls previously spoke to The Sun to give his top tips on what to do if you come face-to-face with a shark.
He said: “Most shark attacks are mistaken identity, or they think of something else.
“So if you see a shark make yourself visible, make yourself strong, make yourself not look like prey.
“As soon as you start panicking and start thrashing in that water and sending off prey-predator signals that you are food and you’re scared and you’re weak – that’s whether you’re facing wolves or sharks.”
It’s unlikely you’ll be able to out-swim a shark – instead, it’s best to face the fear, Bear said.
“If it’s coming for you, if it’s looking like it’s attacking, you go for it, dive towards, it be aggressive.
“Cause confusion in a shark’s mind. Yeah, they’re unlikely to attack – even Great Whites.”
If a shark does latch on, punching its nose or jabbing its eyes – their sensitive spots – will hopefully deter the beast from pursuing you further.
Shark expert George Burgess told Time Magazine: “It would be the equivalent to a neighbourhood bully coming down the sidewalk and you taking the first swing.
“It will probably be surprised and won’t know what’s going on for a moment or two.”
If bitten, apply pressure to the area to stem any bleeding and of course seek medical aid immediately.
