Pictured is the shark believed to be responsible for twin attacks off the coast of Western Australia in the space of seven hours. Photo / Supplied
Pictured is the shark believed to be responsible for twin attacks off the coast of Western Australia in the space of seven hours. Photo / Supplied
Alex Travaglini lived through every surfer's worst nightmare. He was out in the water when a shark was spotted and just as he was making his way back to the shore, he felt something chomp down on his leg.
The father-of-two, 37, was out surfing with friends on April 16 at the Cobblestones break near Gracetown, south of Perth, and was paddling out to catch another wave when the unthinkable happened.
"I heard my friend say, 'There it is!' and asked him what he meant and he told me that a shark just swam underneath him," Travaglini told news.com.au.
Photographer Peter Jovic captured the moment Alex Travaglini was helped to safety by a fellow surfer. Photo / Supplied
"Everyone in the area started paddling away, not panicking but moving quickly to get some distance between them and the shark."
There was a struggle between the 37-year-old surfer and the 4m great white, resulting in him being dragged under the water.
Travaglini somehow managed to pull himself back on his board, using it to shield his body from the circling predator.
The rescue operation to save Travaglini. Photo / Supplied
"The shark swam around so I was face-to-face with it and I remember clearly seeing its eye," he said.
"It was obviously sizing me up."
The shark lunged at Travaglini once more and thankfully he was able to defend himself by smacking it in the nose and pushing the board into its mouth.
"I went into survival mode and did everything I could to get out of there. I was scared I was going to lose my life," he said.
"At one stage I managed to regain a bit of control and I became quite adamant that I was going to survive."
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Travaglini. Photo / via GoFundMe
Travaglini is taken out of the water by fellow surfers. Photo / Supplied
With the help of his friends he managed to get to shore where they used a leg rope to apply a tourniquet to slow down the bleeding, something Travaglini attributes to saving him from worse injuries.
"What saved me is the fact that the tourniquets were applied early on. So if you are a surfer I really suggest learning how to tie a tourniquet with a leg rope."
Travaglini sustained serious injuries to both his legs and was flown to Royal Perth Hospital where he underwent surgery.
He was able to return to his home in Margaret River last week but still has a long road ahead of him before he is well enough to return to work.
"I am still moving around on crutches which I expect I will have to use for a while," Travaglini said. "It is probably going to be around the three-month mark before I am back on my feet moving around again."
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Travaglini and his family with his medical expenses.
More than A$17,000 ($18,200) has so far been raised and he said he is planning on using part of the money to fund research that can help minimise attacks.
"Every time a shark attack happens there is the big debate between the two extremes: those who want to cull sharks and those who think we should leave them alone. I am trying to be rational about it and find a middle ground," he said.
The 37-year-old said that in the case of his attack, the Department of Fisheries sent out a response unit to follow the shark and warn people of its presence. He believes that in cases like his, GPS trackers should be put on the sharks so authorities can map their movements.
Hours after his attack, a second man, Jason Longrass, was targeted by a shark just 1km away.
Jason Longrass said a shark tooth was embedded in his leg in the second attack of the day. Photo / Supplied
"If the shark had been tracked then they may have been able to avoid the second attack that happened later that day or at least find out if it was the same shark," Travaglini said.
"If a dog bites a human or another dog a ranger will come and deal with it.
Bite marks on Longrass' surfboard. Photo / Supplied
"If a human attacks another human, police will intervene and punish the attacker.
"If a snake comes into your backyard and could be a danger to you, a catcher will come and take it away.
"So when it comes to sharks we need to take more responsibility for ensuring the safety of swimmers."
