The International Shark Attack File recorded 2,785 confirmed shark attacks between 1958 and 2016. Out of those, 439 were fatal. A large shark could weigh anywhere from 1,500 to 2,400 pounds and has a maximum bite force of 18,000 newtons (over 4,000 pounds). If that wasn’t scary enough, they also have razor-sharp teeth that can slice through almost anything. All that said, it seems almost impossible for anyone to survive a shark encounter. Those people who were lucky enough to live another day have quite the shark attack survival story to tell. As Shanin and his board were getting dragged beneath the waves, a second shark came in to claim the human prey. “I remember staring at the shark face to face with its mouth wide open and I could see its eye staring right back to my face,” said Shanin. Miraculously, a wave washed him to shore where bystanders pulled him to safety. No one was around to see what had happened and no one heard his screams. Archibald spent 29 grueling hours treading water and fighting off sharks before he was rescued. Thankfully, he made it out alive with only a few minor injuries. “I didn’t feel anything until I actually saw what happened. You don’t expect something like that to happen until it happens,” said Pollina, only 12 years old at the time of the attack. Getting back into the water hasn’t been easy for Pollina. There are times where she doesn’t feel comfortable, but having support from her friends helps. He goes on to admit that the whole experience happened so fast and that it felt like a blur. Hernandez is grateful that he didn’t lose any limbs and that he still has a passion for spearfishing. “I thought other sharks were about to go into a frenzy with all the blood in the water,” said Reed. Luckily, Reed was able to make it out alive and only suffered from minor skin tears. Just a few weeks after leaving the hospital, Reed went back to that same beach to tackle his fear of getting back into the water. Winter originally thought she was getting pulled by one of her family members as a joke. However, the terrifying truth started to sink in when she felt the smooth surface of the shark’s back. Thankfully, her father, a paramedic, swooped into action and beat the shark off of her. Winter lost her leg but her positive attitude showed that she would not let the tragedy get the best of her. Just a few days later, another person became human prey but this time it was fatal. People were frightened by the series of shark attacks at Sharm El Sheikh. Signs prohibiting anyone from swimming or diving into the water were posted all along the shore. A seal or a large group of fish rushed past him and he immediately began to think about what could be chasing them. Not long after, a great white shark bit at the center of Nevarez’s body. Luckily he was wearing a led vest, which kept him from being ripped in half. Thankfully, he made it the surface and his son helped pull him out of the water. It all started when Rocha was spearfishing off Big Island’s Upolu Point in Hawaii when a 12-foot tiger shark sunk its razor-sharp teeth into his leg. After escaping from the shark’s jaws, Rocha was able to swim to shore. As he was about to get carried away in an ambulance, Rocha documented his experience on his phone. He even showed social media followers his shredded bloody leg. During the finals of the J-Bay event, Fanning was captured on camera as he was being attacked by a shark. Thousands of viewers watched in fear as Fanning literally fought for his life. Fellow competitor Julian Wilson paddled to Fanning’s rescue and was hailed as a hero for his efforts. Thompson was swimming close to shore when he felt a sharp pain in his leg. When he turned to look at what happened, he was face to face with a great white shark. Thompson sprung into action and started punching the shark in the face until it released him. Thompson was able to make it back to shore but sadly without his leg. He quickly realized that the dolphins were making a protective shield from a great white shark that was making its way towards the family. What happened that day was nothing short of a miracle. The shark ended up swimming away and the family made it safely back to shore. The young boy was attacked twice by the shark. First, it removed flesh from his lower leg and then it ripped off his right foot. Thankfully, Watson survived the brutal attack. Thirty years later, a portrait was painted that depicted the gruesome event. As he was being dragged into the water, Quinlivan thought his life was coming to an end. Thankfully, the shark let go of him long enough for him to get back on his ski. When he finally got to the hospital, his ankle was barely hanging on by a thread. He later learned that what he saw was Wilson being knocked into the air by a shark. The ravenous beast then proceeded to drag him underwater. Luckily, his courageous friend was able to pull him back to shore. Before he had a chance to get out of the water a great white shark savagely tore off his leg. Miraculously, Bource survived the vicious attack. Just six weeks later he was back in the water filming a documentary about his attack, called Savage Shadows. As he was about to shoot his spear, a great white shark attacked Fox from behind. Through a series of near miracles, Fox made it to the hospital where surgeons worked on his mutilated body. Somehow, Fox survived and eventually became one of the world’s foremost authorities on sharks. By the time she made it to the hospital, she had already lost 60% of her blood. Luckily, she recovered at the cost of her left arm. Determined to keep surfing, Hamilton went on to become a professional surf competitor and a motivational speaker. The friends were watching in awe when Endris was violently struck from below and throw almost 15 feet into the air. Now in the water, Endris tried desperately to get back on his board. Before he had a chance, a great white shark sunk its teeth into the center of his back. Miraculously, the group of dolphins positioned themselves between the shark and Endris. This provided an opportunity for Endris to get back on his board. When Grimes noticed it was a shark, he tried to calmly paddle back to shore. However, the shark was persistent and a second bump knocked him into the water. The bull shark proceeded to bite into his arm and hand. Luckily for Grimes, the shark swam off, leaving him to paddle back to shore. He then drove himself to the hospital where he received almost 100 stitches. While the kids were surfing on their boogie boards, the parents were watching just a few feet away. A sharp scream immediately brought their attention to Lucy. Mrs. Magnum saw a shark swimming in the shallow waters and instantly started running to scoop up her daughter. When they got Lucy to shore they saw that the lower half of her leg was sliced open. That big fish was later identified as a great white shark. It grabbed the 13-year-old boy but somehow he was able to escape the jaws of the shark. With help from his friend, he made it to a nearby kayak and they paddled to safety. Tiffany, alone in the water, was enjoying God’s creation when she felt a bump from something. When she turned her head, she was greeted by a shark that took hold of her arm in its powerful jaws. “The strength of the Lord came out from inside me and it gave me the strength to fight back,” said Johnson. After fighting and pulling, the shark finally let go of her mangled arm and she was able to scream for help. The shark bit her thigh and backside to the bone but Ericson fought back. “I kept digging at what felt like jello,” she said. That jello feeling was the shark’s eye. Her quick thinking and her boyfriend’s persistence while pulling her to shore helped save her life. Many people are unaware that Jaws was inspired by true events. In 1916, a serious of vicious shark attacks took place on New Jersey beaches. For a period of time, many New Jersey residents were too terrified to step foot into a body of water.
