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Woman Falls off Paddleboard Onto Shark Lurking in the Water

Updated Friday, May 10, 2024 at 3:29 PM by Jade Rhode 3 min read

A woman paddleboarding at the beach toppled off her board and landed on top of a shark swimming in the water
In the 15-second video, viewers see the woman and shark's brief interaction and hear shouts of concern in the background
Mark Fitzgibbon, a marine biologist and content creator, explained the likelihood of the shark biting the woman

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Woman falls into water with shark. — A woman paddleboarding fell into the water with a shark waiting below. Images: by wildestanimal/Getty Images, @6abcactionnews/TikTok, South_agency/Getty Images
Source: UGC

A woman enjoying the beauty of paddleboarding got up close and personal with a shark after falling off her board.

As seen in a video taken by Boaz Namia Cohen via Storyful and posted by 6abc Action News on TikTok, the woman first smiles at the sight of the sea creature. The small shark then knocks the woman's board, causing her to tumble into the water.

The 15-second clip shows the woman falling right on top of the predator of the sea and the sounds of concerned onlookers in the background. However, the video ends before viewers see what happens to the woman and the shark.

Netizens react to woman falling off paddleboard with shark in the water

Although being near a shark can be terrifying, social media users added humour to the comment section.

Taking on the shark's perspective, @tarinsara said:

"That shark was like, 'And then OUT of NOWHERE this human attacked me!'"

@porsche_did_911 spoke about how the woman fell, saying:

"I mean, she probably landed in the best place possible to scare the shark away."

@bachor808 commented:

"The shark will never ever attack a human again! He is traumatised for his whole life!"

Adding humour to the comment section, @veronicas.victory1 wrote:

"That shark is now seeking a lawyer for emotional damage."

Sharing what they would have done in the scary situation, @itcomesfromchynah said:

"I would have never landed on the shark. I would have ran to shore like one of those lizards across the water. Period."

Marine biologist provides insight into sharks

Speaking to Briefly News, marine biologist and course instructor at Cape RADD, Mark Fitzgibbon, explained what would happen if a shark gets bumped on the head:

"The shark, like other animals, would have been frightened by the sudden collision. In these situations, the shark would trigger a fight-or-flight response, causing it to defend itself if it felt threatened, or flee the situation."

When asked about the likelihood of the shark biting the woman, the popular content creator said that the distressed shark may have had a slight chance to do so, adding:

"When animals feel threatened, they tend to defend themselves. Sharks typically bite people only when they perceive a threat or, occasionally, if they mistake us for food."

Mother and child fall into shark-infested water

Briefly News previously reported about a mother and her child falling into a pool of nurse sharks while they were feeding them.