AT THE BEACH | A shark attack scare and the power of a praying mom

Some prayers hit the target, some seem to hit a glass ceiling, some get answered “no” and others seem to hang around in the ether like a fragrance and touch down in unexpected places like a miracle.

Like the time we had The Jesus Retro Surfing Contest at Queensbury Bay, covered in much prayer, and seven or so days later Denver Struwig was savagely attacked by a shark at Chintsa and survived.

Call me a romantic fool if you like but I am convinced that lingering prayers were part of his escape.

When Mark “Mack” McArthur had his fatal car crash we crowded around his bed and prayed in earnest.

One of my prayer partners at the time was Charne Horn, and we were all brokenhearted when McArthur died, but I think some of those prayers lingered?

Last Saturday morning, the water was about 17ºC at popular surf spot Kwelerha River Mouth. A little chilly.

At 11am, there were seven surfers sitting on the river mouth peak surfing quick right-breaking waves across the bay.

Twelve-year-old Luke Horn was lying just on the outside break but feeling a little uneasy.

It was a bright sunshiny day and the water was a little murky on an outgoing tide from the river.

Shad birds were diving not far off, and feeling a pinch apprehensive, he elected not to sit up on his board with legs dangling but rather stay prone lying down, feet a little bit up and hands just a bit clear when not paddling. Smart young man.

He was facing out to sea with his dad and friends just a bit behind him.

The shark came at him from the side and a bit behind, meaning it possibly swam under the other surfers before having a go at him — crashing into him and knocking him off his board.

He let out a scream and chaos erupted.

His father, Mike, said, “You have no idea what you will do when the crunch comes,” but he piled straight into the fight.

In quick paddling strokes he was in the turmoil, shouting and expecting to see blood.

In among the thrashing he grabbed his son and helped him back onto his board and the crew made their way quickly and quietly out of the water.

Mike said the event was quick but slow too. There was absolute clarity but at the same time details are difficult to recollect.

There were two gashes on the inside knee of his wetsuit which may have been from the fin of a surfboard in the chaos or perhaps not?

Looking at the scuff mark on his leg, on his inside thigh just above the knee and his calf just below the knee, this writer observed one of the closest possible of all shaves.

Mike’s skin was just bruised but not broken and Luke was not even scratched. Shocked, stirred, shaken and traumatised but not a hair on his head was harmed.

Mike does not mind the cuts in his wetsuit, he wanted to buy a new one anyway.

Expert deep sea fisherman Rory Hare was in the water a few metres away with his wife, Nikki, and son Kye.

“Definitely a great white [and he would know] about 1.8m to 2m and an exact copy and paste of the famous Mick Fanning attack in J-Bay 10 years ago.” 

Anthony “Antman” Derman was spitting distance away and had a front-row seat to the entire catastrophe.

“Frightening,” the dedicated Kwelerha local said. “I have been surfing since 1987 and this is the first time I have experienced anything like this.”

Tanner Kenny, who was also right in the fray, said: “I am still trying to comprehend this. My mind is blown.

“I am so stoked that the lightie [Luke] is OK.

“The shark kept bumping and ramming Luke and would not leave him alone until his dad climbed in and kind of chased it.”

Luke, who is in grade 7 at Lilyfontein, said he would surf again but with exams now, he did not mind taking a break.

Nicknamed Jack Russel by his friends and awarded rugby tackler of the year (and he is not the biggest) Luke is a feisty, tough boy.

His dad paddled back out and went surfing again that same afternoon. He refuses to live in fear.

He is quite a guy who tackles the beast to rescue his boy but in this writer’s opinion, there is a lot to be said for a mom who prays.