Arabic version: مراهق يتجنب عضّة سمكة قرش على شاطئ جنوب أستراليا

A 16-year-old surfer had a close encounter with a shark while surfing at Middleton Beach in South Australia on Good Friday. Oliver Tokic-Bensley reported that he was bitten on his foot shortly after entering the water, approximately 100 meters from shore. He described the incident, stating he flicked the shark off and quickly paddled back to safety.

According to The Guardian, Oliver had been surfing for about 10 minutes when the shark, believed to be a bronze whaler, tugged him off his board. After the bite, he managed to catch a wave that brought him back to shore, where he took photos of his injury to show his friends.

His father, Andrew Bensley, rushed him to Victor Harbor hospital, where medical staff cleaned and bandaged his wounds. Although he has been advised to avoid putting weight on his foot, Oliver is optimistic about returning to surfing within two weeks.

Shark sightings in the area have been noted recently, with surfers at Middleton beach having encountered bronze whalers in the past. Despite this, bites remain extremely rare, with the last recorded incident in June 2014. South Australia has had only 36 shark bite reports from 2000 to 2025, with most involving white sharks, and only two bites attributed to bronze whalers.

Oliver noted that the murky water conditions on the day of the attack may have contributed to the incident. He expressed a desire to continue surfing but acknowledged the need for caution in similar conditions in the future.