Shark snatches oar

A shark has snatched the oar from a novice surf lifesaver out training. Surf boat sweeper Greg Ross was with four others when he felt "a big thump" go through his hands at Hawks Nest, on the New South Wales mid-north coast.

He turned around to see a small white pointer thrashing his oar around in its mouth. "It just dragged the oar out backwards through my hands."

The boat was about 400m offshore. Ross believes the shark mistook the oar for a seal, and soon let it go.