Man Attacked by Shark Trying to Save Brother

In another shark related incident in South Africa, Cape Town life guard, Achmat Hassiem, had his foot bitten off in a shark accident when he attacked the shark in hopes of saving his brother.

“It was going for my brother”, he said from the hospital where he was air lifted. “I shouted: ‘Taariq! Shark!’ and then started splashing about in the water so that I would attract the shark to me,” said Hassiem. The shark turned around and came towards me. It grabbed my ankle and shook me, then pulled me under water. I thought the game was over.”

However, Hassiem was able to escape the clutches of the shark’s grasp and return to shore.

“I don’t know how to describe what it was like,” he said. “You don’t feel pain. It had my leg in its mouth but I did not feel pain. It was just ... this massive brute force against me.”

He says he wants to become a life guard again and return to the water, but know it will be difficult to learn to swim without a foot. We all hope for a full recovery and all the best for Hassiem. His brother was attacked by the shark, but will live.