The abalone diver who incredibly survived a second shark attack has revealed he did not see the great white that tried to bite his head off - but instead recognised the sound of teeth on bone.
Greg Pickering, 55, was diving for abalone off a remote part of WA’s southern coast last month when he was attacked by a suspected great white shark.
It was the second time Mr Pickering had lived through a shark attack, after being bitten by a 1.5 metre bronze whaler while in waters near Cervantes, north of Perth, in 2004 as he was trying to help a friend.
Speaking about his ordeal for the first time, Mr Pickering told the Seven Network’s Sunday Night program about the circumstances of the attack, which left him needing 10 hours of surgery on facial and other wounds.
“I heard the sound, the thrashing sound, of teeth on bone - and I remembered the sound from the last time I was bitten,” Mr Pickering said.
“I thought ‘that is probably a shark’, but I didn’t see it - I heard the attack.”
The show says Mr Pickering is now the only man in the world to be attacked by sharks in separate incidents and live to tell the tale.
And the interview will also detail how Mr Pickering used his 40-year diving experience to hold his breath and rise to the surface slowly after the attack, despite the water turning red around him from the blood pouring from his horrific injuries.
A roll of duct tape and a towel were used to hold Mr Pickering’s shredded face together, as his eight-hour journey to hospital started.
Mr Pickering told reporter Mark Ferguson that he felt he had been spared his life.
“It (the shark) suddenly stopped and let me go, so I have definitely been given another chance,” Mr Pickering said.
“I do believe I have been given a second chance.
"God has given me a second chance, there is no doubt about that.”
Soon after the attack, Mr Pickering’s family expressed their thanks to paramedics, surgeons, doctors and nurses who helped save his life, while Fisheries Department director-general Stuart Smith slapped a kill order on the shark.
But the order was then called off because the shark was not spotted again and was no longer considered a threat to school-holiday campers in the area.
Mr Pickering returned to the area where he was attacked, Poison Creek at Cape Arid National Park, about 180km east of Esperance, to tell his story.The interview with Mr Pickering will air on the Seven Network’s Sunday Night at 7.30pm on Sunday.
Versus
Posts: 918
Date Joined: 06/03/09
invisible arms!Dude got
invisible arms!
Dude got chomped on the head, remained calm and survived. I'd shit myself and die of shock. He's got balls of steel!
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
"in 2004 as he was trying to
"in 2004 as he was trying to help a friend"
interesting
https://www.facebook.com/groups/174055815943047/?fref=nf
Taylor fishing
Posts: 42
Date Joined: 02/09/12
?
what is interesting?
Swompa
Posts: 3912
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Well produced story. What a
Well produced story. What a humble and realistic bloke.
barneyboy
Posts: 1392
Date Joined: 08/01/09
Lucky man
but it shits me how the media have to add bullshit to an already amazing story to try and make it better by saying he is the only living man to see the inside of a whites mouth and survive.
I am not trying to steal the blokes thunder or ruin his moment, but it has happened before...Shame on you channel 7
FEEEISH ONNN!!!
Doooma
Posts: 791
Date Joined: 05/12/09
And in his own words..... He
And in his own words..... He didnt see anything!!!!
petermac
Posts: 2946
Date Joined: 03/03/10
greg pickering
Greg is a legend free diver and spear fisherman , also a very humble bloke , he will be back in the water he was born with gills
Aaron_Moses95
Posts: 213
Date Joined: 23/04/12
wonder why the shark let go,
wonder why the shark let go, he is truly lucky to survive, his calmness and determination kept him going. Yeah agree with the comment abut the ch7 bs about only man to see inside a gw's mouth and survive. He clearly said he never remembers seeing the shark that attacked him he only heard it. The media will do anything for a good story.
West Coast
Posts: 332
Date Joined: 10/12/07
Shark Shield??
I want to know if he was wearing a shark shield?
Griffo84
Posts: 118
Date Joined: 28/05/10
I kinda hope he wasn't
I kinda hope he wasn't wearing a shark shield...
Do the right thing and there will be fish tomorrow.
bod
Posts: 2321
Date Joined: 03/05/06
haha
West Coast
Posts: 332
Date Joined: 10/12/07
Shark Shield
Might have saved his life!!
Adam Gallash
Posts: 15655
Date Joined: 29/11/05
amazing
Amazing story that, very lucky to be alive!!
http://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/video/watch/19886510/the-lucky-one/
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Taylor fishing
Posts: 42
Date Joined: 02/09/12
no shield
he wasn't wearing his shield. also the phone wasn't on his boat but a nearby ab boat that happened to be diving the same area. by far the best free diver and spearo i have ever seen. still waiting for a reply from notorious...