animalheroes (original) (raw)
Early in the morning on Tuesday, August 28, 2007, Todd Endris was starting a day of surfing with friends at Marina State Park off of Monterey, California. He was laying on his surfboard waiting for a wave when suddenly, a massive great white shark hit him. The shark, between 12 and 15 feet long, was unable to get his jaws around Endris and the surfboard in the first attack but didn't give up. It hit him again, clamping down on Endris' torso and shredding the skin and muscle in his back. That attack would have killed Endris if his vulnerable belly had not been pressed to the surfboard and relatively protected. The shark didn't stop at that. It came for Endris again, swallowing his right leg and trying to tear it off.
Endris was taken completely by surprise from the attack. "[It] came out of nowhere. There's no warning at all. Maybe I saw him a quarter second before it hit me. But no warning. It was just a giant shark. It just shows you hwat a perfect predator they really are," Endris said of the attack. When the shark swallowed his leg, Endris finally was able to fight back. He kicked at the shark's nose and eyes with his left foot until it let him go.
The injured surfer was alone in the waves for several seconds, bleeding and waiting for the next attack. However, suddenly there were more dorsal fins in the water. A pod of dolphins that had been playing in the waves nearby swam over and formed a protective circle around Endris. They swam around him, keeping the shark at bay and giving him the chance to paddle for shore and save himself. They never left his side during the long swim, protecting him until his friends were able to get to him and save his life.
The shark could have finished Endris that day in the waves. Instead a passing group of dolphins saw his life in danger and took it upon themselves to save him. After Endris made it to shore the shark and dolphins all swam away and disappeared.
"Truly a miracle," Endris says of the rescue. To this day he continues to surf and will never forget the attack and his rescuers.
Todd Endris
| Current Mood: |  peaceful |
|---|