It's every person's nightmare to come face-to-face with a shark in open waters.
This is exactly what happened to Australian pro surfer Mick Fanning while he was competing at the J-Bay Open in South Africa over the weekend. The attack, which was caught on camera, shows a large shark's fins appear and disappear around Fanning's surfboard.
In the video above, Fanning tells news sites he punched the shark in the back to escape. Despite the risky move, the surfer got away without any injuries.
According to the Guardian, the best thing to do when faced with a shark near you in the water is to swim away.
In a full video posted by the World Surf League, there is also footage of Fanning being rescued. The league released an official statement regarding Sunday's incident later that day:
"We are incredibly grateful that no one was seriously injured today. Mick's composure and quick acting in the face of a terrifying situation was nothing short of heroic and the rapid response of our Water Safety personnel was commendable -- they are truly world class at what they do."
The competition itself has been postponed.
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