Firefighter looked shark in the eye before it bit off his leg
Speaking for the first time since he survived the attack last month, Mel Ismail recalls the moment he looked the apex predator in the eye.
Mel Ismail, a firefighter, was surfing at Glenfield Beach near Geraldton in Western Australia on September 14 when a shark severed his leg. Upon spotting the shark, Ismail maintained eye contact with it during the attack. Despite the gruesome injury, Ismail managed to reach the surface and was rescued by Shannan Dunn, who noticed his distress from the beach.
Dunn and Ismail made it back to shore, where they were assisted by Chrissy and Rick. A couple of teenagers helped Ismail into a four-wheel drive vehicle, which sped to the hospital. Ismail's partner, Kylie Fleay, was working at the hospital when she learned about the attack. The paramedics, who were former colleagues of Ismail's, were relieved to see him.
Despite the amputation just below his knee, Ismail remains optimistic and even jokingly suggested becoming a bodyboarder. The community of Geraldton has rallied around Ismail, providing immense support during his recovery.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
