A nine-year-old surfer, Bowie Daly, narrowly escaped a shark attack while surfing at Tathra Beach in New South Wales on Thursday, March 15, 2024. The incident occurred around 16:30 local time when a shark bit into his surfboard. Bowie described the moment, saying, “I was holding onto it [my board] and I felt a tug at the back of my board.” He recounted that he briefly struggled to stay above water, but quickly managed to resurface.
Fortunately, the shark released the board, allowing Bowie to reach safety with the help of nearby surfers, including his father. Despite the alarming experience, Bowie emerged with only minor injuries: a scratch and a bruise. “I have a hole in my wetsuit … I have a scratch mark,” he noted.
Details of the Attack and Its Aftermath
While Bowie sustained minimal physical harm, his surfboard did not fare as well. “It made a giant bite mark … it fully took out my fin,” he explained. The board was described as “fully wrecked,” leaving Bowie frustrated about the damage.
According to the Australian Shark-Incident Database, approximately 20 individuals are injured by sharks in Australia each year, with an average of 2.8 fatalities. The data also indicates that there are typically seven reported incidents per year where individuals are involved but not harmed.
Andrew Johnson, president of the Tathra Surf Life Saving Club, confirmed that shark sightings in the Tathra area are uncommon, with no reports prior to the attack. He remarked, “All surfers think that there’s sharks out there, and they just accept that.” The last notable incident in the region occurred in 2014 when a woman was swimming off Tathra Wharf.
Following the attack, Johnson utilized a drone to survey the water but reported no sightings of the shark since the incident. Despite the scare, many locals, including Johnson, returned to the surf the following day. He acknowledged Bowie’s luck in escaping without serious injury, stating, “He’s probably really, really cheesed off that his board’s broken.”
Bowie’s Resilience and Support from the Community
Bowie, who has been surfing for four years, expressed his determination to return to the water, suggesting it would take him “two to four weeks” to get back on the board. The community has rallied around him, with former professional surfer Kai Otten, a Tathra native, reaching out to offer Bowie a new surfboard. This generous gesture has motivated Bowie to expedite his plans for returning to surfing.
Reflecting on his experience, Bowie remains undeterred. His enthusiasm for surfing is evident, even as he deals with the aftermath of the attack. As the surf community supports him in his recovery, it is clear that this young surfer’s spirit remains unbroken.
