‘Clamp of razor blades going into my leg’: Surfer Ryan Lowther describes terrifying moment he was bitten by a shark at Trigg Beach in Perth
A surfer has described the terrifying moment he was bitten by a shark, likening it to a “clamp of razor blades” going into his leg.
Ryan Lowther was surfing at Perth’s Trigg Beach on Wednesday when he felt a shark latch onto his leg about 5.30pm.
“I was just out here having a surf and I thought I would go for one more after catching a wave and a big set came through,” Mr Lowther told 7News.
“I ducked down under it and as I was coming back up to jump on my board, I felt this latch right onto my leg.
“I was in a bit of shock. I dived on my board and caught the wave in. I pulled up my wetsuit and there was blood everywhere.”
The 41-year-old said he told a kid next to him he’d been bitten before driving himself to the hospital.
“It just felt like this clamp of razor blades going into my leg. It just locked on, then let go really quickly,” he said.
“I just felt like this crunch on my leg.
“And then I was like ‘I am getting out of here as quickly as possible’. I wasn’t hanging around to see what it was.”
Doctors found a tooth lodged in his leg – which still remains there – following an X-ray and prescribed antibiotics before sending Mr Lowther home.
“(They) reckon I’ll be right,” he said.
“If (the tooth) comes out I will keep it.”
Mr Lowther said he was relieved the shark was likely small, adding he’s “glad to still have two feet”.
“So that is a win,” he said.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development issued a warning to beachgoers earlier in the week, urging them to take caution in the area.
Originally published as ‘Clamp of razor blades going into my leg’: Surfer Ryan Lowther describes terrifying moment he was bitten by a shark at Trigg Beach in Perth
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