Photo Gallery: I Survived a Shark Attack
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Shannon's Scar
Shannon Ainslie is lucky to be alive. One morning while surfing with friends off the coast of East London, South Africa, Shannon suddenly came face-to-face with a great white. "I was taking a wave when the shark came up," recalls Shannon. "Then I was underwater and saw a shark's head. I looked directly into his eyes and thought I was dreaming." Shannon didn't know it at the time, but there was a second great white too, and it was coming in for the kill.
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Shannon's Injury
Shannon managed to escape with his life when a big wave swept him towards shore and out of harm's way—but not before one of the sharks took a bite out of his right hand. "When I reached the surface of the water, I reached for my board and noticed that my hand had been badly bitten," he recalls. "My fingers were hanging off my hand."
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Surf's Up
It took 30 stitches to stop the bleeding and piece Shannon's hand back together. But the harrowing experience did nothing to detract from the native South African's love of surfing. He now coaches surfing in Jeffreys Bay, one of the world's most renowned surfing destinations. And he holds no grudges. "I love sharks. I respect sharks. The ocean was created for them."
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Becky and Her Shark Attack Injury
Ten years ago, then 17-year-old Becky Chapman was surfing when she was viciously attacked by a blacktip shark that bit through her calf and severed her Achilles tendon.
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Becky's Wounds Close-Up
After enduring reconstructive surgery and months on crutches, Becky Chapman, now 27, maintains that she loves sharks and is still passionate about spending time in the water.
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Becky Chapman's Leg
During the two-hour live event Shark Attack Experiment: LIVE, Becky will be facing her fears by getting back in the water with the same shark species that almost took her life. She harbors no ill will against her attackers. "I love sharks," states Becky. "They’re amazing.”
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Todd Endris' Shark Attack Scars
In 2007, Todd Endris, then 24, was surfing with his friends at Marina State Park off the coast of Monterey, California, when he was attacked by an 18-foot-long great white.
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Board Bite Marks
The shark's first attack hit Todd while he was sitting on his surfboard. “The second time, he came down and clamped on my torso, sandwiching my board and my torso in his mouth,” says Todd. In its third attack, the shark tried to swallow Todd's right leg. Like something out of a fairy tale, Todd was saved by a pod of dolphins, as they formed a barricade between him and the shark, and he was able to escape to safety.
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Todd Endris Surfing
By the time Todd managed to get back to shore, he had lost half the blood in his body. But looking back on the entire experience, he's at peace with his attacker. "I wouldn’t want to go after the shark anyway," says Todd. "We’re in his realm, not the other way around."
