The advice to punch a shark if you are ever attacked may be the key reason why one surfer in Australia is alive.
AFP noted that the attack took place on Friday in the waters off of Evans Head in New South Wales state. The surfer, identified as Craig Ison, saw a fin in the water and began warning others around him to get ashore.
"As he paddled towards shore, the 52-year-old was attacked by the shark which bit his left leg. The impact of the attack knocked the man off his board," police said in a statement. "The man punched the shark in an attempt to scare it away; during the struggle, the shark also bit his left arm.”
Ison was transported to a local hospital and is listed in serious but stable condition.
The attack had some recalling an incident last week in which Australia native and professional surfer Mike Fanning fought off a shark that attacked him during a live surfing competition. Fanning was unharmed; only his surfboard sustained damage.