Shark attacks surf instructor giving lessons to kids which missed children by INCHES
A SHARK attacked a surf instructor and narrowly missed his young students by inches while they were out for a lesson off the Georgia coastline.
Yamada Atsushi, also known as 'Hot Sushi', said he was "super duper thankful" he was bitten and not one of the "precious young people" or instructors taking part in the session.
The surfer said he was left needing an "intense painful deep cleaning" and left A&E with "plenty of stitches".
The man was taking a group of his Happy Surf Camp Aloha students for a lesson off Tybee Island, Georgia, when the attack took place.
Chatham Emergency Services said a swimmer was bitten Tuesday on Tybee Island near 18th and 19th streets.
Atlanta broadcaster WJCL-TV said emergency services had to clear the water for "an hour or two" after the attack.
A local fisherman said the man may have been mauled by a Black Tip.
'IT COULD'VE BEEN MUCH WORSE'
Hot Sushi posted photos of emergency crews treating his leg and his time in hospital on Facebook.
In a post, he wrote: "I apologise for this crazy incident of mine to making things chaotic.
"Most of all I feel super duper thankful it was ME no one else who were in the seawater at that time especially all these precious young people including my fabulous instructors or anyone else…
"It could have been much much worse so feel very lucky enough just got out from the ER after the intense painful deep cleaning with plenty of stitches.
"At the same time, I was trying my best not to let my wonderful amazing brave campers to panic on seeing me getting injured in front of them."
The surf camp was closed on Wednesday so Atsushi could meet with plastic surgeons but would regroup Thursday morning.
"After this incident of myself it’s going to be hard for me to say 'come surf with me!," he added.
"So I will leave up to everyone to keep going or postpone your session or sessions until we all cool off mentally."
This comes as beachgoers in North Carolina were startled by what they claimed were "very large sharks" prowling close to the shoreline on Sunday.
Heart-stopping snaps show multiple dorsal fins sticking out the ocean off a beach in Oak Island.
A note on Facebook from Oak Island Water Rescue read: "We don't want to alarm anyone because this is a very natural thing, but we received a report and pictures of what appear to be large sharks swimming just off the beach near 4300 East Beach Drive.
"We will be investigating this further and will be flying our purple flag today to warn of possible dangerous fish."
But some pointed out the fins may not belong to sharks and may instead be that of whales, dolphins, or manta rays.
In June 2019, Paige Winter, from North Carolina, lost her leg in a horrific shark attack and was only saved from imminent death after her father heroically punched the animal five times in the nose before pulling her to safety.
The brave 19-year-old was left with life-changing injuries, with surgeons forced to amputate her left leg above the knee and perform several operations to repair her hands after she was savaged by a bull shark while swimming.
She had been bathing in the waters off Fort Macon State Park when the predator struck.
SHARK ATTACK CAPITAL
Meanwhile, the number of shark attacks has exploded across the globe as swimmers continue to ignore bloodbath warning signs – seeing almost 800 people mauled in just nine years.
America has overtaken Australia for the number of attacks with Cape Cod, Massachusetts, now considered the shark capital of the world.
Experts report seeing 50 in the popular holiday haven alone this summer.
However, despite a spike in maulings by the ferocious beasts and signs warning of attacks on beaches in the US and Australia, swimmers are still putting themselves at risk.
This year has seen 49 shark attacks – six being fatal – across the globe, as the underwater predators continue to get closer to humans.
The US recorded the largest number of shark bites, reporting 33 incidents, while Australia recorded 18.
A whopping 791 shark attacks have been reported between 2010 and 2019, according to data published by the International Shark Attack File, with an annual global average of 80 bites.
That's an incredible rise compared to data from 1970 to 1979, when just 157 attacks were reported.
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