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Man on nudist beach survives shark attack by punching it in the head

Paul Kenny escaped serious injury after punching a shark that attacked him north of Newcastle
Paul Kenny escaped serious injury after punching a shark that attacked him north of Newcastle

A man on a nudist beach has survived a ‘head-on’ shark attack.

Paul Kenny, 50, said he escaped the bull shark by punching it in the head until it released him during the attack in Australia on Saturday morning.

He was body surfing at Samurai beach, known locally as a nudist beach, when the predator clenched its jaws around his arm.

Samurai beach had recently reopened due concerns of increased shark activity in the area after a whale washed ashore.

After punching the bull shark in the head repeatedly, Kenny says he run desperately out of the water.

He said: “I think [my arm] got the end of his mouth because his head was bigger than [the size of the bite mark], it’s not just a little head like that.

Kenny was attacked by a bull shark (not pictured)
Kenny was attacked by a bull shark (not pictured)

“But I think he just turned and snapped and just got the end of it and just missed an artery, thank God.

“I was coming in. So I went to move out a bit deeper to get a better wave and just put my head down and headbutted it and then it just grabbed me, and I just started punching it until it let go.

“And then started getting back out of the surf as quick as I could holding my arm because there was blood everywhere and hoping it wouldn’t come back.”

Kenny is currently being treated in hospital, where he remains in a stable condition.