P a 8e 2
T H E N O R T H C O A S T T IM E S E A G L E , F R ID A Y , 26 N O V E M B E R , 1982
The Great White Shark
T h r e e y e a r s a g o , on N o v e m b e r 2 7 , 1 9 7 9 ,
K e n n y D o u d t, a t w e n t y - e i g h t y e a r o ld c a r p e n
t e r f ro m S e a s id e , w a s s u r f in g n e a r H a y s ta c k
R o c k in C a n n o n B e a c h w h e n h e w a s a t t a c k e d by
a G r e a t W h ite S h a r k . It w a s th e f i r s t t i m e in
r e c o r d e d h i s t o r y t h a t a g r e a t w h ite h a d s e r i
o u s l y a s s a u l t e d a h u m a n o ff th e O r e g o n c o a s t .
T h e a t t a c k l a s t e d o n ly a fe w s e c o n d s a n d le f t
D o u d t w ith a m a s s i v e w o u n d f r o m w h ic h h e
h a s f u lly r e c o v e r e d . He w a s r e c e n tl y i n t e r
v i e w e d in E u r e k a , C a l i f o r n i a f o r a C B S s p e c i a l ,
" S c i e n c e T i m e s , " w h ic h w ill a i r e a r l y n e x t
y e a r . T V G u id e o f G r e a t B r i t a i n h a s r e q u e s t e d
a n i n t e r v i e w . He i s c u r r e n t l y w r i t i n g a b o o k
a n d a s c r e e n p l a y a b o u t th e s h a r k a t t a c k . He is
a ls o s u r f in g a g a in .
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I
by K e n n y
D oudt
It w a s a c l a s s i c N o v e m b e r d a y a t C a n n o n
B e a c h . T h e c l o u d s w e r e h ig h a n d it w a s n o t
to o s u n n y . I w a s s t a y i n g in S e a s i d e w ith J a c k
B i r d . We h a d c h e c k e d th e w a v e s a t S e a s i d e b u t
t h e w in d w a s w r o n g . So w e d r o v e th e f i f t e e n
m i n u t e s s o u th to C a n n o n B e a c h . A f t e r lo o k in g
a t t h e s u r f w e d e c i d e d to t r y o u r lu c k n e a r
H a y s ta c k P o c k .
J a c k a n d I to o k o u r s u r f b o a r d s o u t o f th e c a r ,
g o t in to o u r w e t s u i t s a n d r a n up th e b e a c h to
t h e n o r t h s i d e o f th e r o c k . J a c k w a s in th e w a t e r
b e f o r e I w as A fte r s lip p in g on a p a ir of g lo v e s
I s t a r t e d p a d d li n g t h r o u g h th e r i p n e x t to th e
ro c k . I cau g h t th re e o r fo u r w av es and w as
e n jo y i n g th e s u n a n d w a t e r . T h e w a t e r s e e m e d
c h i l l y , w h ic h w a s n o t h in g n e w . T h e t e m p e r a t u r e
w a s a b o u t t h i r t y f iv e d e g r e e s F a r e n h e i t t h a t
d a y , a n d th e w a t e r w a s a b o u t f i f t y - t w o d e g r e e s .
F iv e of u s w e r e s u r f in g . I lo o k e d o v e r at
S te v e A b s h e r ,a n d s a id : " T h e n e x t g o o d w av e
t h a t c o m e s in , I 'm g o in g to g e t i t . " A g o o d w a v e
c a m e in a n d I s u r f e d it in . T h e n I t u r n e d a r o u n d
a n d s t a r t e d p a d d li n g o u t f o r a n o t h e r o n e .
W h en a s u r f e r is p a d d li n g o u t h e u s u a l l y
t r a v e l s a s f a s t a s h e c a n to a v o id g e t t i n g h it
by a b re a k in g w a v e . I do a n y w a y . I h a v e b e e n
s u r f i n g f o r s i x t e e n y e a r s . I w a s t h in k i n g o f
g e t t i n g o u t p a s t th e b r e a k e r s w h e n th e s h a r k
h it.
I n e v e r s a w it c o m i n g . It c a m e f r o m m y
l e f t s i d e a n d i t s j a w s s a n d w i c h e d m e o n to th e
f ib e r g la s s and fo am s u rf b o a rd . T he a tta c k w as
s o s u d d e n a n d q u ic k th a t I w as a m a z e d a n d b e
w i l d e r e d . I h e a r d th e s h a r k l e a v e th e w a t e r
a n d t h e n it w a s o n m e . It w a s a f o u r t e e n f o o t g r e a t
w h i t e s h a r k a n d it w e ig h e d a b o u t t h r e e t h o u s a n d
p o u n d s . L a t e r , s c i e n t i s t s to ld m e t h a t th e s h a r k
w a s p r o b a ly f e m a le , a s f e m a le s a r e u s u a lly
m o re a g g re s s iv e .
T h e f i r s t t h in g th e s h a r k t r i e d to d o w a s t a k e
m e u n d e r w a t e r . It s u b m e r g e d m e tw o f e e t d e e p
i n s t a n t l y a n d a t t a c k e d w h ile m y l e f t a r m w a s
a b o v e m y h e a d . If th e s h a r k h a d h it a s p l i t s e c
o n d e a r l i e r o r l a t e r . i t w o u ld h a v e r i p p e d m y
a r m o ff. T h e n I w o u ld n o t h a v e b e e n a b l e to
p a d d le i n to s h o r e .
T h e s h a r k c o u ld n o t k e e p m e u n d e r fo r m o r e
t h a n a fe w s e c o n d s b e c a u s e o f th e b u o y a n c y o f
t h e s u r f b o a r d . It s t a r t e d s w i m m i n g w ith m e
w h ile t u r n e d o n i t s r i g h t s i d e w ith th e b o a r d in
i t s m o u th . T h e s h a r k h a d m e o u t o f th e w a t e r
f r o m m y w a is t u p , a n d it fla y e d m e f r o m s id e
to s i d e .
S te v e A b s n e r h a d s e e n th e s h a r k a t t a c k , a n d
h e s t a r t e d p a d d li n g t o w a r d m e a s f a s t a s h e
c o u ld . H e w a s a b o u t t e n y a r d s a w a y w h e n w e
l o o k e d e a c h o t h e r s t r a i g h t in t h e e y e s . I r e m e m
b e r th in k in g th a t h e w a s th e l a s t p e r s o n I w as
e v e r g o in g to s e e .
I s w u n g m y a r m s a t th e s h a r k , w h ic h d id n o t
s e e m to p h a s e i t a t a l l . O n ly th e b o a r d k e p t th e
s h a r k f r o m f r o m r i p p i n g m y w h o le s i d e a w a y .
T h e f i r s t t h in g I h e a r d w h e n th e s h a r k b i t m e
w a s m y b o a rd a n d r ib s go c ru n c h . A g r e a t
w h ite t h a t s i z e h a s a b o u t f i f t e e n t h o u s a n d p o u n d s
p e r s q u a r e i n c h o f p r e s s u r e in i t s b i t e .
T h e n , j u s t a s q u i c k l y a s it h a d g r a b b e d m e ,
t h e s h a r k l e t g o . It j u s t o p e n e d i t s m o u th a n d I
w a s f r e e . T h e e n t i r e a t t a c k h a d l a s t o n ly a b o u t
tw e n ty s e c o n d s , w h ic h w a s t i m e e n o u g h f o r m y
l if e to f l a s h in f r o n t o f m e . I th o u g h t th e s h a r k
w a s g o in g to b i t e m e in h a l f . It h a d h e l d m e in
i t s j a w s f r o m th e m i d d l e o f m y a r m p i t to th e
m id d le of m y b u tto c k s , a n d a b o u t a n in c h f r o m
m y b a c k b o n e . A s s o o n a s th e s h a r k l e t g o o f m e
I s to p p e d s c r e a m i n g .
T h e w a t e r a r o u n d m e w a s b lo o d r e d . I s a w
m y s u r f b o a r d flo a tin g a b o u t te n fe e t a w a y . I w as
p r e p a r i n g to d ie w h e n I s a w th e b o a r d , a n d s u d
d e n ly I j u s t w a n t e d to g e t t o s h o r e a s q u i c k l y
a s p o s s i b l e . M y a d r e n a l i n e w a s f lo w in g a t i t s
m a x i m u m . I r e a c h e d th e b o a r d a n d p a i n f u l l y
m o u n te d it on m y b e l l y . I s t a r t e d p a d d li n g a s
h a r d a s I c o u l d . I p a d d le d a b o u t t h i r t y y a r d s