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A Near Miss For A Surfer In South Africa

NPR

Published July 20, 2015 at 5:16 AM EDT

Mick Fanning had no idea he'd be going head-to-head with a shark Sunday in a South African surfing contest.

Video shows Fanning paddling out when a fin surfaces behind him.

There's a tug, and he falls into the swirling water scrambling for his board.

Luckily, the shark only bit off the board's leash, which was tied to Fanning's ankle.

Fanning told reporters: "I just saw fins. I was waiting for teeth, and I punched the shark in the back."