1 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: From the newsroom and you still come to the. 2 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 2: Good day there. I'm Andrew Bucklow. 3 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 3: Now, before we get into today's episode, which is about 4 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 3: shark attacks, I just want to play you some fun 5 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 3: audio regarding yesterday's episode. If you missed it, we had 6 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 3: Grant Danya on the podcast and he made some interesting 7 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,959 Speaker 3: comments about Kyle Sandalans, which the radio star responded to 8 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:22,800 Speaker 3: on Kiss FM. 9 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 4: Brinnan also sent me that grand Danya was interviewed by 10 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 4: news dot com dot I used from the newsroom. Yeah, 11 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 4: and they asked him, who's the biggest dev you've ever 12 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 4: worked with? It Apparently he said it was me. 13 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,599 Speaker 5: That sounds ridiculous. When did you work with him? I've 14 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 5: got talent? 15 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,279 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, he hosted something like that for a while. 16 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 6: Let's hear the audio, then, Diva, you've ever worked with 17 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 6: Carl Sandelan? I've ever seen a bloke throw his furniture 18 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 6: around the green room when he's KFC hadn't yet arrived. Well, 19 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 6: he called it KFC, but. 20 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 5: A bike he delivered it. 21 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 3: Last question, celebrity who gives the best hugs? 22 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 4: Oh? 23 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 6: Weirdly, I'm going to go back to back with Carl Sandler. Yeah, 24 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:15,839 Speaker 6: he's a real Teddy Bear in real life. 25 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 5: I got to know him a little bit. 26 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:23,199 Speaker 6: Yeah, when again, when you cracks through that extremely hard shell, 27 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 6: there is a real softy inside. A little takes a 28 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 6: lot of work to get there, but when you do, 29 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 6: he's surprisingly tender. 30 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 2: I would not say you give the best hugs. 31 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 4: You hugging and it always feels like you're pat on 32 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 4: the back. Yeah, you know, because when you're as famous 33 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 4: as me, you've got to be very careful. People don't 34 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 4: accuse you of mollis stasan. 35 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 2: How did you ever throw around furniture? 36 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 7: Do you remember waiting for k I. 37 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 4: Don't think it was KFC. I think it might have 38 00:01:57,880 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 4: been something else, delivered in a small paper bag. 39 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 3: Yeah right, I love how honest Skyle is on air. 40 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 3: Does not hold back, does he? All right, let's move 41 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 3: on to more serious matters now. And there was a 42 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:09,359 Speaker 3: pretty shocking shark attack in New South Wales a couple 43 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:11,359 Speaker 3: of days ago. In just a moment, we'll tell you 44 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 3: what happened, and then we're gonna hear from a man 45 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 3: who was attacked by a shark a number of years 46 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 3: ago and lived to tell the tale. All right, I'm 47 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 3: joined quickly by news dot com dot you reporter Ali Foster. Alie, 48 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 3: tell me about this shark attack over the weekend. 49 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 7: Yeah, so, it happened on a beach on the New 50 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 7: South Welles North Coast on Sunday afternoon. A sixteen year 51 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 7: old boy was swimming in the water when he was 52 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 7: attacked by a shark. Surface and bystanders rushed to help. 53 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 7: They pulled him from the water, applied to torniquet to 54 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 7: stem the bleeding before emergency services arrived, and then he 55 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:48,119 Speaker 7: was airlifted to hospital with injuries to his upper right arm, 56 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 7: wrist and leg. He's now in a stable condition. 57 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 2: I thank you very much. 58 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 7: Ali. 59 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 2: You can keep up to date on that story at 60 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 2: News dot com dot Au. 61 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 3: Now, a few years ago, I interviewed Dave Pearson, a 62 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,639 Speaker 3: fellow who survived a shark attack. He went on to 63 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 3: set up Bite Club, which was a support group for 64 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 3: shark attack survivor's cracking name. 65 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 2: It was a fascinating chat. 66 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 3: I'm going to replay it for you right now. 67 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 2: Can we start by talking about your close call. You're 68 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:14,839 Speaker 2: attacked back in twenty eleven. Can you talk me through 69 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 2: what happened. 70 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, it was just a normal afternoon surf basically, So 71 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: I just went for surf after work. I'd picked up 72 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 1: a new surfboard the afternoon before, so I was really 73 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: keen to get out in the water. So I rang 74 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: my neighbor on the way home and asked if you wanted. 75 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 5: To lift out of the beach. 76 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: So we went as usual and no different than any 77 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: other afternoon, and. 78 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 5: I paddled out. There was a few waves. 79 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: It wasn't that special, but there was a few reasonable 80 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: sized waves, and within five minutes I'd caught three waves 81 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: and my neighbor hadn't even caught a wave yet. And 82 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: it was quite funny because I was like as keen 83 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: as so, and everyone said that's why the shark got 84 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: to me. I was being too much of a hog, 85 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: But yeah, I was. Just had them back out after 86 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: the third wave and sort of had a bit of 87 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: a smile on my face because. 88 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 5: I was pretty happy with the new board. 89 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 1: And then things sort of changed and there was a 90 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: few sort of fortunate things that happened, and one was 91 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 1: I was kind of looking off to like to my 92 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: left hand side a bit where the other guys were 93 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 1: sitting in the water still, and the shark actually came 94 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: from just off them to my right hand side, so 95 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: I wasn't directly facing it when it came and hit me. 96 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 1: So what actually happened is the shark come from reasonably 97 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: deep water, so I was paddling back out in the 98 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: rip and charged up from the bottom with its mouth 99 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 1: open as they do, and its bottom jaw hit my 100 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 1: surfboard around about just off to the nose on the 101 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 1: right hand side, and its bottom teeth lodged straight into 102 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 1: the board. It was a new fire wire of POxy 103 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 1: designed so they're fairly hard, so it's teeth went straight 104 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 1: into the board, and then its nose as it continued 105 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,239 Speaker 1: over the board. Because I was sort of still leaning 106 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: to the left, its nose hit me on the right end, 107 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: inside of my head. 108 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 5: So the best thing you can do. 109 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: For in a shark attack is to fight it, and 110 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 1: it had already instigated that by basically taken ahead butt 111 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: from the side of my head. So the other good 112 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: thing about that is it rendered me semi conscious, so 113 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 1: a lot of the panic's gone when you're not actually 114 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: aware of what's happening. So it flipped out of the 115 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 1: water and took me. 116 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 5: Down to the bottom with it. 117 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 1: One of my mates was watching he heard this loud 118 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:31,159 Speaker 1: smacking noise and turned over and looked over to where 119 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 1: I was, and what he thought he was looking at 120 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: was a large dolph and had jumped out of the 121 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:40,040 Speaker 1: water and was gone back in. And then he said 122 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 1: he was thinking, but it wasn't Dave paddling out there 123 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 1: a minute ago. And yeah, a couple of seconds later 124 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: he said, my board pop back to the surface, and 125 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,720 Speaker 1: you know, a few seconds after that, followed by myself, 126 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: and I proceeded to climb back onto the surfboard and 127 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 1: sit there and take stock of what happened. And what 128 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:01,279 Speaker 1: had actually happened was the show top jaw as it 129 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 1: continued in the trajectory of flying through the air with 130 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 1: me and its mouth had trapped my right arm between 131 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: the surfboard and its teeth and proceeded to tear off 132 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 1: basically in my forearm muscle and my thumb went in 133 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 1: the side of its mouth, and the rest of my 134 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 1: hand was outside of its mouth so like hooked in. 135 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 1: So it had stopped my arm going down into its throat, 136 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 1: and you know, obviously saved a lot of the damage 137 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 1: that could have happened. 138 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 5: And I was really fortunate. 139 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 1: Once again, that's you know, the damage wise, it wasn't 140 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: too bad. And when we're in the bottom, I believe 141 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 1: what was happening in the bottom was it was now 142 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,560 Speaker 1: as confused as I was, because obviously its nose isn't 143 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:47,040 Speaker 1: feeling very well from hitting my lumpy head, and I 144 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 1: was still stunned trying to go hang on. I was 145 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: paddling out. Now I'm on the bottom of the water. 146 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 1: What's going on here? And yeah, all I remember from 147 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: all of that is lots of bubbles and something flashing 148 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: in front of me large, and you know, it was 149 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,599 Speaker 1: a bit gray, a bit brown underwater, so it was 150 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 1: hard to figure out what was going on. 151 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 5: So when I sat on my. 152 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: Surfboard, I looked down at my left arm and I 153 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 1: could see, you know, obviously the forearm muscle was hanging 154 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 1: off but still attached. I was really fortunate that it 155 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 1: didn't just slice it off completely. I was watching sitting there, 156 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: watching blood squat out around about six to eight foot 157 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 1: from where I was sitting on the board, and I 158 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: was looking at my white bones, and I was thinking, wow, 159 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:33,679 Speaker 1: bones really are white, you know, like all these dumb 160 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: things are going through my mind, and I'm going, wow, 161 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 1: the water was turning red around me and go, wow, 162 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: I've been attacked by a shark and the movies get 163 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: it right. So there's all these weird things going on 164 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: in my head. But the best thing was I wasn't panicking, 165 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 1: so I just sort of tucked everything back together the 166 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 1: best I could. And it was then that I realized 167 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: that obviously it had severed veins and arteries in my arm, 168 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: and there was nothing I could do to stop the 169 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 1: blood flow. And I became aware then that my mate 170 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: Noughty was screaming from further away, you know, Dave, what's 171 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: going on, and he's going, you know, listen to me, 172 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: Listen to me, and he goes, Dave was at a shark. 173 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:13,240 Speaker 1: And I was just at that moment, I was looking 174 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 1: down in the water and it was underneath me, and 175 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: I went I said, shit, Nobby Noddy, it's yes, a 176 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:21,680 Speaker 1: big shark. And I said, it's still here. I said, 177 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 1: get out. I said, I'll be all right, I'll get 178 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: myself out. And yes, everybody there was Andy Flua was 179 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: surfing together and my neighbor who I took down, he 180 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,319 Speaker 1: heard all the shouting and the commotion from you know, 181 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: just the word shark and you know as surfers and 182 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:40,080 Speaker 1: scummer screaming out shark in a panic. He got out. 183 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 1: He didn't even realize what was happening. And Noddy said 184 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:47,200 Speaker 1: he was watching me try to paddle in, and I 185 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 1: basically tucked my arm under my chest and tried to 186 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: put as much weight as I can on it. And 187 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:54,559 Speaker 1: as I was paddling in, a set come through, and 188 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 1: I thought, you know, beauty, I'm out of here. On 189 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:59,439 Speaker 1: the first wave, and the wave broke right on top 190 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 1: of me. It pitched me up and drove me straight 191 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:03,680 Speaker 1: down again. And here i am back on the sand, 192 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 1: under the water, rolling around and I'm going, wow, like 193 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: this is no fun. And then I got my feet 194 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:10,839 Speaker 1: on the sand. I pushed myself up again to get 195 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: the next wave. So it was obviously the beginning of 196 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 1: the set, and I copped about four or five waves 197 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 1: on the head and it was then that I realized 198 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 1: I was drowning, and I went, wow, I'm going to 199 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:20,400 Speaker 1: die today. 200 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:22,960 Speaker 5: And I went, oh, well, I've had a pretty good life. 201 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 1: And I'm like and I was like pretty calm about 202 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:27,920 Speaker 1: the whole thing, and I'm going And then I was 203 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 1: thinking that because my kids and I went you know what, 204 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: I can't die today. And I went not today, Dave, 205 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:34,720 Speaker 1: and I got my feet on the sand again. I 206 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:38,080 Speaker 1: pushed myself back up and proceeded to sort of put 207 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 1: all the skin back together. And by now, like it's 208 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 1: we're probably a good five minutes into it, and I've 209 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 1: lost all my strength. I've got no energy, and I've 210 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 1: still got a paddle in and I'm on the I'm 211 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:51,200 Speaker 1: in the rip, so you know, the water is trying 212 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: to drag me out. The waves are breaking right on 213 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 1: top of me, and I'm going absolutely nowhere. And then 214 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 1: I heard Noddy from behind me and he goes, come on, Dave, 215 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 1: we're going to get you in, and him and him 216 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: and my mate Seawan had paddled over, and yes, if 217 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:05,560 Speaker 1: it wasn't for them to, we probably wouldn't be having 218 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: this conversation right now. 219 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 5: And we got in as soon as we hit the beach. 220 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:11,200 Speaker 1: I remember here and Sean say, you know, get his 221 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 1: leg wrape off and torn a key's arm and not 222 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 1: he was shouting, you know, get his arm above his head. 223 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: By then a few of the young guys from further 224 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:20,960 Speaker 1: up the beach, they witnessed what was going on in 225 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: the water, and they were already out and standing on 226 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 1: the beach when he got there, and you know not, 227 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:26,839 Speaker 1: he said, oh, we're going to need a helicopter. Dave's 228 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: arms back and they proceeded to sort of drag me 229 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 1: and carry me up onto a picnic table and Minister 230 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 1: First daid until more help arrived. 231 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 2: More with Dave Pearson in just a moment. Welcome back. 232 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:48,679 Speaker 3: You're listening to my chat with Dave Pearson, who survived 233 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 3: a shark attack back in twenty eleven. He was bitten 234 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 3: on the arm, but doctors managed to save it, thankfully. 235 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 3: He later went on to set up Bite Club, a 236 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:58,600 Speaker 3: support group for other shark attack victims. 237 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 2: What led to you setting up bike club? 238 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: Well, afterwards, I remember, like a couple of days after 239 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 1: the attack, I'm laying in hospital and my girlfriend she said, Dave, 240 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:14,199 Speaker 1: all your mates are trying to get in. 241 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:15,560 Speaker 5: Touch with them. I'll bring your laptop down. 242 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: So she brought my laptop down, and as usual with Ossie, guys, 243 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:22,080 Speaker 1: you know, there's this big email trail. How Todave I 244 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:23,560 Speaker 1: heard you've lost an arm and a leg. There was 245 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:26,840 Speaker 1: all these stories going around and in the newspapers of 246 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: all places. 247 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:28,199 Speaker 5: While I was there. 248 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 1: I thought, oh, let's have a look at some of 249 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:31,440 Speaker 1: these news stories that tell me I've lost an arm 250 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 1: and a leg. So I did some of that, and unfortunately, 251 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:37,559 Speaker 1: I discovered that news stories actually have a comment section, 252 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:40,360 Speaker 1: and there was just all of this victual towards me. 253 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 1: And you know, I bet you she wants to go out 254 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:44,600 Speaker 1: and kill all the sharks now, and there's just these 255 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 1: horrible things, and I'm going, wow, who are these people? 256 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: So I just went, hey, guys, this is me. I'm 257 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 1: currently laying in hospital doing all right. No, I don't 258 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:55,839 Speaker 1: want to go killing sharks, and you know, I'm pretty 259 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 1: indifferent to them. 260 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:58,240 Speaker 5: If they leave me your land, I'm pretty happy. 261 00:11:58,320 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 1: And it was just like this shit just kept going 262 00:11:59,960 --> 00:12:02,200 Speaker 1: on and on and on, and I went I remember 263 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: slamming my computer shut and like there's tears running down 264 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:07,600 Speaker 1: my face and going, god, I was a good blake yesterday, 265 00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: and today I'm the worst enemy of everybody who wants 266 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 1: to protect the shark or defend the shark or whatever 267 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:16,440 Speaker 1: against guys who go surfing. And I went, wow, this 268 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 1: is just so weird. And that played on my mind 269 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 1: a lot, unfortunately, and it was tough, so you know, 270 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: obviously when I got out of hospital, you know, there's 271 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:29,160 Speaker 1: there's the pain to deal with. There's all of the 272 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:32,200 Speaker 1: you know, the healing, which which takes quite a while 273 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 1: as unfortunately there's no work, which usually means no pain. 274 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:37,800 Speaker 5: And then the bad dreams start. 275 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 1: And you know, I remember trying to just run into 276 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:44,080 Speaker 1: my mates and they avoided me as well, and going, wow, 277 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 1: this is so alienating. Nobody really understands what I'm going through, 278 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:50,160 Speaker 1: but nobody wants to sort of to help me here. 279 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 1: So everybody I sort of reached out to was either 280 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 1: blown or blown off or just hit the stone wall. 281 00:12:57,720 --> 00:12:59,599 Speaker 1: And I went, wow, this is this is weird. I 282 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:02,640 Speaker 1: wonder if other shark attacks survivors go through this. So 283 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:05,680 Speaker 1: then I started looking for shark attack survivors, and you know, 284 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:07,719 Speaker 1: while I'm sitting at home, I've got nothing else to do, 285 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 1: and I found, you know, a couple of people who'd 286 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:14,480 Speaker 1: been attacked prior to myself. I just said, hey, how 287 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:18,320 Speaker 1: you dealing with the bad dreams? And what actually found 288 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:20,440 Speaker 1: was looking while I was looking for answers, I found 289 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:22,600 Speaker 1: that everybody was still out there looking. 290 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 5: For answers as well. 291 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:27,680 Speaker 1: So we all sort of became each other's answers. 292 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:30,440 Speaker 5: It's been such a weird journey, and so what. 293 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 2: Does the club do to support those who have been attacked. 294 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:37,320 Speaker 1: We do a lot of basically what you would call 295 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:40,439 Speaker 1: peer support. We all talk about what's worked for us, 296 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 1: what hasn't worked for us. We have some great discussions 297 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 1: where it comes to drugs and nerve damage is huge 298 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:52,679 Speaker 1: within our group, and there's not many good nerve blockers 299 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 1: that don't cause horrific side effects which you sort of 300 00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: don't know about until you start taking the drugs. So 301 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,160 Speaker 1: we do talk a lot about prescription medication and things 302 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:06,640 Speaker 1: that have worked and haven't worked, and alternative methods that 303 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 1: we've all used. But most of the work gets done 304 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 1: just by people meeting each other and we sit down 305 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 1: and have a chat. So we can just talk to 306 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:16,280 Speaker 1: people who want to come up and say, you know, 307 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 1: how you're doing, and you know, I'm feeling a bit 308 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 1: bad from this, and just you know, just to have 309 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:23,120 Speaker 1: a chat with them and say, you know, these are 310 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 1: the sort of things that you're going to experience in 311 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 1: the next Unfortunately, six twelve months, eighteen months. 312 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:31,120 Speaker 5: And two years. 313 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:34,400 Speaker 1: It's not a defined path, but it's basically a two 314 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 1: year journey before you accept that you've got a new 315 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 1: normal life and that's what you're going to be with. 316 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 3: When I was chatting today for that interview, I remember 317 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 3: telling him how cool it was in my opinion that 318 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 3: you know, he'd gone through such an awful experience but 319 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 3: it managed to turn it into something good and helpful 320 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 3: with bike club. And he said to me, I remember 321 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 3: this line. It cracks me up at the time, and 322 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:54,680 Speaker 3: it's still funny now. He said, Yeah, the club's good, 323 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 3: but the initiation is a real bitch. 324 00:14:56,640 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 5: Yeah. 325 00:14:56,880 --> 00:14:58,320 Speaker 3: I mean, any club that you have to get bitten 326 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 3: by a shark to get into probably not a club 327 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 3: I want to join anytime soon. All Right, thank you 328 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 3: so much for listening to today's episode. I'll chat to 329 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 3: you again tomorrow. 330 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 2: Follow us, subscribe to from the Newsroom wherever you get 331 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 2: your podcasts.