‘Accident-prone’ fisherman tells of terrifying Queenscliff Harbour shark attack

AN “accident-prone” fisherman has described the moment a shark “with teeth like razor blades” attacked him while fishing off Queenscliff Harbour.

Shark attack victim, Rodney McFarlane meets the media at the Alfred Hospital. Picture: Tony Gough

A SELF-CONFESSED “accident-prone” fisherman has described the moment a shark “with teeth like razor blades” attacked him while fishing in waters off Queenscliff Harbour.

Rodney McFarlane, 73, from New Gisborne thought he had hit the jackpot when he reeled in what he thought was a “prized” and harmless gummy shark.

But when the shark bit his hand yesterday morning, he realised he was actually in “real trouble” and being attacked by a seven-gilled shark.

“I thought I would go and catch a snapper or two,” Mr McFarlane said.

“I was on the water for about half an hour, the rod took off, and I thought this is too big to be a snapper.

“I got it up to the side of the boat, and it was just huge; it was about 5ft (1.5m).”

Mr McFarlane said when he tried to pull the shark into the boat, he knew he was “in strife” when it “grabbed on to my hand”.

“I was lucky, really, that I got it into the boat, because it no doubt, would have taken my hand with it,” he said.

“It basically split my hand in two.

Shark attack victim, Rodney McFarlane meets the media at the Alfred Hospital. Picture: Tony Gough

A large sevengill shark at Melbourne’s Aquarium. Picture: File

“The pain was instant; the damage, I couldn’t believe, the damage it could do in a couple of seconds.”

After the shark let go, he wrapped a towel around his hand as the blood gushed out.

Then he called his wife, urging her to call the ambulance.

Despite severe blood loss, he still managed to steer the boat back on his own.

“The paramedics said there was at least two to three litres of blood just in the towel,” Mr McFarlane said.

“It pretty much cut my hand in half,” he said.

Mr McFarlane, who is now recovering at The Alfred hospital, conceded he was a bit disappointed when he found out the shark had been thrown back in the water.

“It’s a pity; I wouldn’t have minded a few fillets off it,” he said.

“I went to eat it, and it ate me.”

Despite the ordeal, Mr McFarlane said he wasn’t put off fishing.

“Maybe next time I’ll pick on whiting, they haven’t got teeth,” he said.