Novice surfer masters a pro move: Punching a shark to escape
Charlie Fry
The attack Monday afternoon off the Australian coast left  Charlie Fry  with superficial puncture wounds on his right shoulder and upper arm.
A British doctor who arrived in Australia two months ago to work   Fry  said Tuesday  he  had recently watched a YouTube video in which Australian professional surfer Mick Fanning described  his  famous escape from a great white shark during a surfing competition in 2015.
“So when it happened  I was like: ‘Just do what Mick did. Just punch it in the nose '”  Fry  told Nine Network television. “So Mick  if you’re watching or listening  I owe you a beer. Thank you very much.”
Fry  25 and a surfing beginner  was in the water with three doctor friends when  he  was attacked off Avoca Beach  90 kilometers (60 miles) north of Sydney
“I was out surfing and I got this massive thud on my right-hand side; it completely blindsided me ”  Fry  said.
“I thought it was a friend goofing around. I turned and I saw this shark come out of the water and breach its head ”  he  said.
“So I just punched it in the face with my left hand and then managed to scramble back on my board  shout at me friends and luckily a wave came  so I just sort of surfed the wave in ”  he  added.
 Fry  said  he  wasn’t conscious of  his  injured and bleeding arm until  he  reached the shore.
“I didn’t really notice it at the time because when you’re surfing  all I’m thinking was: ‘I’m about to die. I’m literally about to die '”  Fry  said.
 Fry’s  friends drove him to Gosford Hospital  where they all worked  to be treated. The beach was closed for 24 hours.
Lifeguards spotted the 3-meter (10-foot) shark that attacked  Fry  close to shore and would use drones on Tuesday to check that it had left the area  Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
 Fry  said  he  could not return to the ocean for a week due to  his  injuries  but “after then  I’ll be racing to get back in.”
The attack Monday afternoon off the Australian coast left  [TGT]with superficial puncture wounds on [TGT] right shoulder and upper arm.
A British doctor who arrived in Australia two months ago to work   [TGT]said Tuesday  [TGT]  had recently watched a YouTube video in which Australian professional surfer Mick Fanning described  [TGT]  famous escape from a great white shark during a surfing competition in 2015.
“So when it happened  I was like: ‘Just do what Mick did. Just punch it in the nose '”  [TGT]told Nine Network television. “So Mick  if you’re watching or listening  I owe you a beer. Thank you very much.”
[TGT]25 and a surfing beginner  was in the water with three doctor friends when  [TGT]  was attacked off Avoca Beach  90 kilometers (60 miles) north of Sydney
“I was out surfing and I got this massive thud on my right-hand side; it completely blindsided me ”  [TGT]said.
“I thought it was a friend goofing around. I turned and I saw this shark come out of the water and breach its head ”  he  said.
“So I just punched it in the face with my left hand and then managed to scramble back on my board  shout at me friends and luckily a wave came  so I just sort of surfed the wave in ”  he  added.
 [TGT]said  he  wasn’t conscious of  his  injured and bleeding arm until  he  reached the shore.
“I didn’t really notice it at the time because when you’re surfing  all I’m thinking was: ‘I’m about to die. I’m literally about to die '”  [TGT]said.
 Fry’s  friends drove [TGT] to Gosford Hospital  where they all worked  to be treated. The beach was closed for 24 hours.
Lifeguards spotted the 3-meter (10-foot) shark that attacked  Fry  close to shore and would use drones on Tuesday to check that it had left the area  Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
 [TGT]said  [TGT]  could not return to the ocean for a week due to  [TGT]  injuries  but “after then  I’ll be racing to get back in.”