Friends of a father who saved his son from a shark attack have praised the man’s bravery

The actions of a father who saved his son from a shark attack have come as “no surprise” to his friends, who say “you wouldn’t meet a better bloke”.

THE father who dived into the water to save his son from the grip of a shark has been described as “a terrific family man” whose act of bravery “comes as no surprise”.

Latrobe father John Arnott was fishing with his son Lucas and two others near Stanley, in the state’s North-West, on Friday afternoon when the unimaginable happened.

It is understood the fishers were cleaning fish in the 6m vessel when a shark leapt from the water, ripping the 10-year-old from the boat – an incident which resulted in the child receiving lacerations and cuts to his head, chest and arms.

SHARK RIPS 10-YEAR-OLD BOY OFF BOAT

The shark swam away when Mr Arnott jumped into the water to save his son, who was transported to the North West Regional Hospital and later the Launceston General Hospital following the attack.

The boat ramp area at Stanley where the man and his injured son came ashore. Picture: CORDELL RICHARDSON

A Tasmanian Health Department spokesman said the boy’s condition was stable on Saturday.

Mr Arnott, a former footballer at Latrobe and Wesley Vale football clubs who carried the nickname “Biscuit”, has been praised for his bravery and was described as a man with “a big heart” by past and present club leaders.

#BREAKING A 10-year-old boy has been rushed to hospital after a shark ripped him from a fishing boat off the coast of Tasmania. His dad jumped in to save him. LATEST >>

Posted by The Mercury Newspaper on Thursday, 16 July 2020

Wesley Vale Football Club president Scott Jaffray, who has known Mr Arnott for 15 years, said “you wouldn’t find a better bloke than John”.

“He’s just a terrific family man who works hard and loves his fishing and diving,” he said.

“He’s only a little guy but has a huge heart. I sent him a message of well-wishes on Friday night when I heard what happened. He was obviously a bit shaken by it all.”

John Arnott in action for Wesley Vale Football Club. Picture: SUPPLIED

Former Latrobe Football Club president Rick Slatter said Mr Arnott’s actions at sea were in tune with the sort of person he was.

“The way he responded to the situation comes as no surprise to me because that was the way he played footy,” Mr Slatter said.

“He was a great clubman and a very good player – always went in for the hard ball. You’d rather have a guy like that on your side than against you.”

Di Maynard with her dog Daisy at Stanley where she helped attend to a 10-year-old boy who had been attacked by a shark. Picture: CORDELL RICHARDSON

There to assist Mr Arnott and Lucas when they arrived at shore was Dianne Maynard, who said she was left in shock after seeing a father “racing up the boat ramp” carrying his bleeding son.

“My mother and I first thought he might have been carrying towels but we then saw shoes and realised it was a child, so we knew something was wrong,” she said.

“We caught up to them when they dashed into a shop and offered our help. I think I just stood there like a stunned mullet.

“When he first told me what happened I couldn’t believe it. It was sheer disbelief until I saw the boy and realised, no, this was deadly serious.

“The boy was in shock, was cold and had a lot of warm clothing on. He is such a tough little kid.”

Circular Head Mayor Daryl Quilliam said Friday’s shark attack was the most “unbelievable” event to ever occur at Stanley.

“It’s surreal that like something like that happened in our patch of the world.”

Tasmanian shark attacks rare, researcher says

TASMANIANS should not be alarmed about the presence of sharks in Tasmanian waters following a horror attack off the state’s North-West Coast on Friday, a leading shark researcher says.

Tasmanian shark advocate Chris Black, author of White Pointer South, described Friday’s attack at Stanley, which involved a shark ripping a boy from a boat, as a “very rare occurrence”.

“While I’m not entirely aware of what species was involved, it is surprising,” he said.

“Sharks don’t live in Tasmanian waters but they do pass through. A creature that never sleeps can cover an enormous journey over its lifespan.”

Bill Worthington, 70, still went for his morning swim in Stanley despite Friday’s shark attack. Picture: CORDELL RICHARDSON

He said Friday’s shark attack was just the 13th Tasmanian incident recorded, with six of those being fatal.

The most recent Tasmanian shark fatality was in 2015 when a scallop diver was mauled off Maria Island.

Mr Black said marine users should not be deterred by the attack.

“Obviously it’s very concerning for the family and I’m very happy the child is in a stable condition, but, broadly, people shouldn’t be worried about what happened,” he said. “Human and shark interactions do happen but they are rare. Sharks don’t mean to target humans, but they’re inquisitive and will investigate anything that might lead to a feeding opportunity.”