Intense video shows the moment a diver was attacked by a great white shark

The diver escaped with two broken toes.
 By 
Brian Koerber
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The last thing you want to see when diving in the ocean is a great white shark nibbling at your toes.

College student Tyler McQuillen was diving off the coast of Santa Barbara on Sept. 1 when he was suddenly hit from behind. Initially, he explains in the video description, he thought his friend was playing a prank, but he quickly realized that the incident was no joke.

After the initial attack the shark began to circle McQuillen, but fortunately, the student was armed with a speargun mounted with a camera to defend his life (and capture all the action).


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Via Giphy

When the shark circled back for the second time, McQuillen jabbed it with the speargun and it fortunately did not return, but you can feel the intensity the last three minutes of the clip.

“I gave him a nice little jab,” McQuillen told CBS 8.

Via Giphy

"Extremely lucky to get out of this one alive, McQuillen posted on YouTube. "I saw blood around me and wasn't sure where it was from, so I swam as fast as I could back to shore."

McQuillen also shared an image of his foot wounds, which are minimal considering how terribly the situation could have gone. He explains that he didn't realize that the shark had bit him at first, but he ended up with two broken toes from the bite.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Topics Viral Videos

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Brian Koerber

Brian was the Culture Editor and has been working at Mashable on the web culture desk since 2014.

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