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Chilling photo taken moments before 14ft shark mauled surfer shows haunting clue it was about to attack
A haunting photo taken moments before a 14-foot shark mauled a surfer reveals a chilling clue that it was about to attack.
In August 2023, Toby Begg was attacked by a twelve-foot Great White at Lighthouse Beach, in New South Wales, Australia, while surfing.
The then-44-year-old was dragged so far underwater that everything went dark, and he thought he was going to drown.
He was only able to swim back to shore after his foot was ripped off at the ankle.
Surfer fought the shark before swimming to shore
Police revealed that Begg, who was a former on-call firefighter, tried fighting the giant predator for half a minute.
"The reports are that a man has tried to fight this shark for 30 seconds and has then swum himself to shore where he has realized he has sustained significant lower leg injuries," NSW Police Chief Inspector Martin Burke said, per The Sun, adding: "From what I understand, it was a sustained and prolonged attack."
A teenager who witnessed the horrifying scene said Begg's foot had been "ripped off" and he was "bleeding everywhere".
"They tried to tie his leg with the leg rope from the surfboard and some sticks to keep it straight," she reportedly said.
The picture shows moments before the horrific attack
A harrowing snap shows Begg in the top right corner, just metres away from the shark, unaware of the horror that was about to unfold.
The surfer was aided by an off-duty emergency doctor, who was on the beach and was able to help staunch the bleeding by using a tourniquet and stabilizing him until paramedics arrived.
He was described as suffering "serious injuries from his hip to his calf and lower legs," as cited by The Guardian.
Begg was initially taken to Port Macquarie Base Hospital in a critical condition for emergency surgery, where it was confirmed that he had lost at least one of his legs.
He was then flown to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, where he underwent further surgery to try to save his other leg, per 7NEWS.
At the time, Begg’s brother-in-law, Chris Lenihan, wrote on Facebook: "Toby is my sister Tracy’s loving partner, and they have two beautiful children. He is a skilled builder, runs a business and is the family breadwinner."
A GoFundMe was also launched to help his family pay for his medical bills.
Surfer returned to water two months later
Two months after the bloody incident, the Australian man returned to the water for a historic paddle-out on November 25, 2023, at Port Macquarie in New South Wales.
The event was held in honor of another shark attack victim, Zac Young, who tragically died after bodyboarding near Coffs Harbor in 2013.
It was organized by the late boy's father, Kevin Young, who said at the time: "It's the 10-year anniversary of my son who passed… but this is for all surfers right around the world, or bodyboarders, anyone who loves the ocean, in celebrating the ocean and celebrating each other and community."
More than 600 people, from young children to older surfers, took part, which meant they beat the previous record of 512.