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Shark attack survivor says predator 'winked' at him as he fought it off

Read the original at The Independent ↗
Cite

McGuirk, R. (2026, October 9). Shark attack survivor says predator 'winked' at him as he fought it off. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/shark-attack-australia-perth-mel-ismail-b3063935.html

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

The Independent · collected 2026-10-09 · by Rod McGuirk

Quick Summary

Mel Ismail, who survived a shark attack that severed his leg while surfing near Geraldton on Australia's west coast on September 14, describes the encounter as unusual because he felt the shark was "winking" at him. Despite losing his right leg below the knee and fighting off the predator by trying to push its eye, Ismail managed to swim back to shore with help from surfer Shannan Dunn. Authorities are still identifying the species of shark involved in the attack, which occurred shortly before another fatal incident near Perth involving a 63-year-old swimmer named Greg O’Neill.
Written by AI on 2026-10-09, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

On Sunday morning around 8:30 AM, a kayaker fishing near Paradise Cove beach cafe in Malibu, California, was bitten by a shark while attempting to release what he believed was a shortfin mako shark. The shark bit the kayaker as he tried to free it from his line, causing him to fall into the water. The shark then circled back and bit the man a second time before swimming away.

A nearby fisherman witnessed the attack and pulled the injured kayaker onto his boat. After calling 911, emergency personnel responded and transported the victim to shore for medical treatment. Los Angeles County lifeguards confirmed that the incident occurred approximately two miles off Paradise Cove beach but have not yet officially identified the shark species or released further details about the victim's condition.

This incident highlights increasing concerns over shark activity near coastal areas, particularly during dawn and dusk when feeding conditions are favorable for sharks.

Written for “Shark Attacks Off Malibu” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 8 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Shark Attacks Off Malibu
Environment · 9 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 7% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
New York Post
Hedges 2 of 28 claims Outlet record 66/100
New York Post
Hedges 4 of 20 claims Outlet record 66/100
ABC News (AU)
Hedges 0 of 47 claims Outlet record 68/100
Toronto Star
Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 64/100
ABC News (AU)
Hedges 2 of 52 claims Outlet record 68/100
Fox News
Hedges 6 of 17 claims Outlet record 70/100
“The articles describe different events involving distinct individuals. ARTICLE A involves a fisherman who was bitten twice by a shark near Paradise Cove in Malibu, while ARTICLE B discusses Mel Ismail's encounter where he lost his leg and fought off the shark.”
Daily Mail
Hedges 3 of 16 claims Outlet record 68/100
“The articles describe different individuals involved in separate shark attacks, not the same specific incident.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
28
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
7%
2 of 28 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
59/100
The Independent's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
9
Environment
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-09 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Independent · 3426 article(s) · 7 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 7 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Rod McGuirk
3 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Police said in a statement the fraud suspect, allegedly pretending to be a victim, “will have no impact on the matters currently before the court.”
🔮 Critics of Australian politics often complain that language that lawmakers sometimes use against each other would not be tolerated in any other workplace in the country.
🔮 Three spearfishing divers were killed by sharks off the Australian coast in four weeks over May and June.
Also by Rod McGuirk
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

Topics

ABC Australia Geraldton Independent Independent Membership

Subjects

Ismail PERSON · 15× Dunn PERSON · 5× Australia GPE · 4× Geraldton GPE · 2× ABC ORG · 1× Greg O’Neill PERSON · 1× Independent NORP · 1× Independent Membership ORG · 1× Mel Ismail PERSON · 1× Shannan Dunn PERSON · 1×

Narrative

And I knew it was a shark.” Ismail said it looked like the shark winked at him before it bit his leg. Many sharks, including the white shark and mako shark, do not have eyelids, but when attacking prey, they roll their eyeballs backwards into their sockets as a protective measure, exposing a tough layer of white cartilage.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-09
🔮 Three spearfishing divers were killed by sharks off the Australian coast in four weeks over May and June.
2026-10-09 · The Independent
Shark attack survivor says predator 'winked' at him as he fought it off · assertive framing

Claims (28 extracted, 2 hedged)

Log in Shark attack survivor Mel Ismail, who fought off the predator that severed his leg, has revealed new details of his near-death encounter. asserted
that → log → encounter
In his first interview since the attack, he said he noticed something odd: “I saw its eye … a big black eye. But it was winking back at me — I was trying to get my fingers in its eye and just pushing its eye as I was being dragged.” asserted
I → say → eye
When the shark swam off, the surfer and professional firefighter managed to struggle back to shore. asserted
surfer → swim → shore
He said he had been surfing at Glenfield Beach near Geraldton on Australia's west coast when he was attacked on September 14. asserted
he → say → September
He lost his right leg below the knee. asserted
He → lose → knee
Ismail recalled that he was resting when he spotted a pod of about 20 dolphins before being hit by something big. asserted
he → recall → something
“I thought I got hit by a dolphin, initially,” Ismail told Australia’s ABC. asserted
Ismail → think → ABC
“And suddenly — bang — something grabbed me and dragged me down into the water. asserted
something → grab → water
And I knew it was a shark.” Ismail said it looked like the shark winked at him before it bit his leg. Many sharks, including the white shark and mako shark, do not have eyelids, but when attacking prey, they roll their eyeballs backwards into their sockets as a protective measure, exposing a tough layer of white cartilage. asserted
they → know → cartilage
Authorities have yet to determine the species of shark that attacked Ismail. asserted
that → have → Ismail
Alone and bleeding at the back of the surf break, Ismail caught a wave that took him about 20 meters (66 feet) closer to shore. asserted
that → bleed → shore
Ismail said he was out of breath and losing strength when he spotted surfer Shannan Dunn coming down the dunes onto the beach. asserted
Dunn → say → beach
Dunn went to Ismail’s rescue, helping the shark victim onto Dunn’s board. asserted
Dunn → go → board
Ismail described Dunn as having “eyes like saucers.” asserted
Ismail → describe → saucers
“The first thing he (Dunn) said to me is, ‘Where’s the shark?'” Ismail said. asserted
Ismail → say → me
“I said, ‘I don’t know. asserted
I → say → ?
I've got a bit going on here.' asserted
bit → get → ?
" Once they returned to the beach, an onlooker crafted a tourniquet for Ismail using a leg rope and another onlooker phoned for an ambulance. asserted
onlooker → return → ambulance
A pair of teenagers helped Ismail climb into Dunn's SUV, and they drove along the beach to meet an ambulance. asserted
they → help → ambulance
“I had a heap of people laughing, keeping me alive, keeping me positive in the back,” Ismail said. asserted
Ismail → have → back
“I gave a few knuckles to the people there, because I was feeling good,” Ismail added. asserted
Ismail → give → people
“I started to feel like I (was) going to make it.” asserted
I → start → it
Four days after Ismail was attacked, 63-year-old swimmer Greg O’Neill was fatally mauled by a large white shark. asserted
O’Neill → attack → shark
O’Neill was attacked off Sorrento Beach in Perth’s northern suburbs, around 400 kilometres (250 miles) south of Geraldton. asserted
O’Neill → attack → Geraldton
Ismail said he intends to return to the surf as a bodyboarder. asserted
he → say → bodyboarder
Three spearfishing divers were killed by sharks off the Australian coast in four weeks over May and June. uncertain
divers → kill → May
In January, a 12-year-old boy died in a hospital days after he was mauled by a bull shark in Sydney Harbour. asserted
he → die → Harbour
Australia has averaged between two and three fatal shark attacks a year since 2000, according to the Australian Shark Incident Database, a partnership including Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Flinders University and the New South Wales state government. uncertain
Australia → average → Society
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