Surf lifesaver survives great white shark attack at Seacliff

A young surf lifesaver has told of the shocking moment a 4m great white shark smashed into surf ski from below, sending him flying into the air.

The first Nat Drummond knew he was being attacked by a shark was when he was thrown off his surf ski.

Mr Drummond, 19, was about 700m off Seacliff when the predator struck, ripping a hole in the ski, right where he was sitting.

“The shark just came up below me and must have thought I was a seal or something and it just took from below and tried to split it in half, and it pretty much did,’’ a relieved and unhurt Mr Drummond said on Sunday afternoon at the Seacliff Surf Life Saving Club.

The huge chunk taken out of Nat Drummond’s surf ski by a shark. Picture: SLSA

“I just felt my ski kind of lift for a moment and then all of a sudden, I don’t know, I was just in the air.’’

An unscathed Nate Drummond after being attacked by the shark on Sunday. Picture: Tom Huntley

The second-year Flinders University psychology student said he then “went flying backwards into the water’’.

“I saw the shark and it was pretty big, I’m not sure how big it was, but it was it was a big shark,’’ he said.

There was a big chunk missing from Mr Drummond’s ski but he was not sure whether the shark had bitten through the craft or hit it with its head. The Surf Life Saving SA helicopter was unable to find the shark after the incident.

Mr Drummond was competing in a ocean paddling event between Seacliff and Grange when he was hit. He was saved when he swam to other paddlers in the race who pulled him to safety. He didn’t see the shark again.

“It was great because everyone just banded together and just really helped me out, it’s a testament to surf life saving and how we’re trained to react to those type of situations,’’ he said.

A massive gap missing from the surf ski after the shark attack at Seacliff. Picture: SLSA

Nat Drummond’s surf ski after he was attacked by a grant white Seacliff. Picture: SLSA

The shark took a huge chunk out of his surf ski. Picture: SLSA

Mr Drummond, who has been competing in surf lifesaving at Seacliff since he was six, called it a “one-in-a-million thing’’.

Mr Drummond said had never seen a shark before.

“I might buy a lottery ticket,’’ he said.

But he said he might take a week out of the water to recover from the shock.

“I’m still a bit shaken up by it,’’ he said.

SLSA life saving and emergency operations manager Daniel Willetts said counselling would be made available to Mr Drummond and other paddlers if they required it.

Mr Willetts said it was likely to have been a great white shark and was estimated to have been between 3m and 4m long.

A 19-year-old man is lucky to be alive after his surf ski was attacked by a shark during a race off Seacliff. The animal bit a hole where the man was sitting - fortunately other competitors pulled him from the water to safety. 7NEWS Adelaide at 5pm and 6pm. #7NEWSpic.twitter.com/kfjLOXuzRQ

— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) October 23, 2022

Despite his close call, Mr Drummond said people should not be worried about heading into the water.

“Coming into summer I don’t want this incident to scare people off from going into the water,’’ he said.

“We were out 700m, which is actually quite deep. I don’t think many people will be going out 700m swimming.

“People shouldn’t be scared going into summer because it’s just an absolute freak occurrence.”