Dave Seymour, a Bundaberg boardrider, says a large shark struck him from the side while he was testing a friend's hydrofoil off Moore Park Beach on July 19, puncturing his board and knocking him into the air. Fisheries officials plan to swab the board's punctures for DNA, and a Griffith University expert estimated the shark at about 2–3 metres (6.5–9.8 feet). Seymour was uninjured and reminded readers that "the ocean belongs to the sharks." The report also notes a separate July 18 dive bite in Tasmania and that Australia recorded 21 unprovoked bites last year, five fatal.
Man Speaks Out After Suspected 9‑Foot Shark Knocks Him From Hydrofoil Off Moore Park Beach
Dave Seymour showing his damaged board following a shark attackCredit: 9NewsAUS/YouTube (2)
What began as a routine afternoon testing a friend's hydrofoil turned into a startling encounter for Bundaberg boardrider Dave Seymour when a large shark struck him off Moore Park Beach on Sunday, July 19.
Seymour told Australian outlet 9News that he was preparing to stand on the foil when he was hit from the side and thrown into the air. In a video posted to social media shortly after the incident, he shows his damaged board, which bears several puncture marks that he and officials say appear consistent with a large shark strike.
"This thing hits me — jeez, pretty quick pace, knocked me clear off," Seymour says in the clip. He added that he initially thought he had struck a floating log while swimming around to inspect the board. Officials from the fisheries department planned to swab the puncture marks to attempt DNA identification of the species involved.
Expert Estimate and Outcome
Marine biologist Dr. Vincent Raoult of Griffith University told 9News the animal responsible was likely very large: "I'd be saying in the 2 to 3‑metre [6.5 to 9.8‑foot] range." Remarkably, Seymour emerged from the encounter uninjured and posted, "Not a scratch on me, and just a great reminder that the ocean belongs to the sharks and we are just visitors."
Broader Context
The episode is one of several recent shark incidents in Australian waters. The Florida Museum's International Shark File recorded 21 unprovoked shark bites in Australia last year, five of them fatal. Separately, Tasmania Police reported that on July 18 a nearly 7‑foot shark, believed to be a broadnose sevengill, bit a 31‑year‑old scuba diver in Adventure Bay. The diver sustained non‑life‑threatening injuries to his lower forearm and was airlifted to Royal Hobart Hospital in stable condition.
Authorities continue routine investigations into these types of incidents as they collect evidence and work to better understand shark‑human interactions in Australian waters.
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