A shark attack survivor who connects hundreds of people from around the world has recalled how he came close to death when he was savaged by a three-metre bull shark on Australia’s East coast just over a decade ago.
Dave Pearson, 48, from Australia, appeared on This Morning today and after feeling isolated and alone in his recovery, told how he decided to start Bite club – an online community which aimed to unite survivors from around the world – which has nearly reached 400 members.
Speaking to presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, he explained: ‘It was just a normal afternoon surf – the same as any other afternoon surf. I had a brand new surf board. I was pretty keen to get in the water and after three waves my whole afternoon changed.
‘I was paddling back out and a shark decided I looked good enough to have a feed on. It came up and grabbed hold of my surfboard and my arm and dragged me down to the bottom.’
Shark attack survivor Dave Pearson (pictured), 48, appeared on This Morning today and after feeling isolated and alone in his recovery, told how he decided to start Bite club – an online community which aimed to unite survivors from around the world
Dave, who accepted at one point he was going to die, lost 40 per cent of his blood, and couldn’t be moved from the beach because they had to stabilise his heart. Pictured, in hospital
Dave said that when he climbed back onto his surfboard, the muscle on his arm was actually ‘hanging off’ (pictured)
He continued: ‘We had a bit of a dance underneath the water for a while. It let me go, we parted ways. I climbed back onto my surfboard to that muscle was actually hanging off. From then on it was a bit of a fight for survival to get back onto the beach.’
Dave, who accepted at one point he was going to die, lost 40 per cent of his blood, and couldn’t be moved from the beach because they had to stabilise his heart.
Speaking of the sudden attack, Dave added: ‘I don’t think any of us really expect to get attacked. The sad news is, just down the coast from here, a man was killed this morning just having a normal 11 o’clock in the day surf.
‘He was a tourist on holiday and he doesn’t get to go home to his family. No body expects it and I guess if we were expecting it, we wouldn’t be in the water.’
‘While I was in hospital, there was a girl who had been attacked the week prior to myself. The first thing I did when they disconnected all the tubes and pipes off me was to pop into her ward and say “hi” and “how are you doing?”
‘It was that initial conversation that we both understood exactly where we were both coming from.’
He continued: ‘It was that chance encounter that set me up to go wow there’s something we share between ourselves even though we don’t know each other that nobody else could seem to get.’
Doctors managed to save Dave’s arm, but six months after he attack, he suffered from PTSD and set up the group itself, Bite club, to connect all of these people – such as newest recruit 13-year-old Oliver, who also appeared on the show. Pictured, Dave surfing
Bite Club’s newest recruit, 13-year-old Oli (pictured), told how the community ‘definitely helped a lot’
Since joining Bite Club, Oli (pictured, bottom right) said he has ‘met a lot of people’ and doesn’t feel as ‘lonely’ and the ‘only one’ who has been bitten by a shark
Not discounting any of the support I got from my friends and my family and my work colleagues – they were great. There was just an instant connection with other survivors and I find that wherever I go.’
Doctors managed to save Dave’s arm, but six months after he attack, he suffered from PTSD and set up the group itself, Bite club, to connect all of these people – such as newest recruit 13-year-old Oliver, who also appeared on the show.
‘It definitely helped a lot,’ explained Oli. ‘I thought I was the only one until he messaged me on social media. It made me feel a lot better.’
Speaking about the attack, Oli recalled: ‘I was surfing in the morning. The surf was really good. I was going out and I just caught a wave and I just fell off it. I was just about to hop back onto my board and the shark bit me on the back of my heel.
I obviously fell back off my board, I looked behind me and I saw a shark swimming away from me. I could see it turning back towards me, then I couldn’t see it. I tried to race to my board and then next minute, there’s a shark mouth on your thigh.
I tried to push it away with my hand and then I severely cut my finger.’
Since joining Bite Club, Oli said he has ‘met a lot of people’ and doesn’t feel as ‘lonely’ and the ‘only one’ who has been bitten by a shark.