Bold and Beautiful swimmer Peter Schultz shows off his shark injuries before going back in the water
A revealing picture of a scar highlights the ‘major trauma’ injuries suffered by a northern beaches swimmer after he was attacked by a ‘harmless’ grey nurse near Manly Beach.
Manly
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A swimmer who was bitten by a grey nurse shark — a species usually considered harmless — is back swimming where the attack happened and has been showing off his scars.
Peter Schultz, 53, suffered “major trauma to various areas” including cuts to his left leg and back, on July 2.
In the Bold and Beautiful Swim Squad blog Mr Schultz was referred to as ‘Shark Pete’ and was pictured showing off purple scars on his back and waist and a large ugly scar on his left thigh.
In the blog it said Mr Schultz received more than 30 stitches to his leg, but was back swimming 5.40am, his usual time, three weeks later when his doctor gave him the all clear.
Elaine de Jager who writes the blog wrote: “In all the years the B&B has been going and hundreds of thousands of laps we’ve swam across the bay this is the first and only unfortunate shark encounter we’ve seen.
“Got to be the least dangerous sport ever.”
Mr Schultz - an experienced swimmer who swam the English Channel - was admitted to Royal North Shore Hospital after the pre-dawn incident on July 2.
His swimming mate Fire & Rescue Chief Superintendent Ken Murphy told the Manly Daily at the time that he heard Mr Schultz scream that he had been “hit by something”.
The men were swimming the usual Bold & Beautiful swim route from Manly to Shelly Beach and back when the attack happened.
“People out of the water were yelling for us to get out because there was something in the water,” Mr Murphy said at the time.
He helped give first aid to his mate as others, including a nurse who was passing by, helped stem the blood with T-shirts before paramedics arrived.
Fellow swimmer Danny Lucas said he heard yelling and swam straight to shore, where Mr Schultz was being given first aid.
“There was a reasonable amount of blood on the footpath,” Mr Lucas said, but added Mr Schultz was “very lucid” and in good humour.
The Primary Industries Department said its investigations concluded Mr Schultz’s injuries were caused by a grey nurse shark — a critically endangered species which is generally considered harmless.
The size of the shark could not be determined, but other swimmers said they saw a 2m-long shark in the area later that morning.
A Primary Industries department spokesman said at the time of the incident ocean swimmers should avoid going out in the dark, or in rough or turbid conditions.