Shark Hokey -Pokey
"The normally abundant fish life was conspicuously absent, and what few remained were - in Holcomb's words - "very spooky". Holcomb had been in the water for about 90 minutes and was unaware of any shark in the area. Suddenly, while swimming quickly over the bottom looking for abalone, he was struck violently on his right side, then grabbed by his right arm and shaken for 3 to 5 seconds before being released. Holcomb's attacker, a 13- to 16-foot (4- to 5-metre) White Shark, then bumped him three or four times in the chest with its snout. At some point during his attack, Holcomb dropped his abalone iron (a sharp, square-edged tool used for prying abalone from hard substrates). The shark then grasped Holcomb's left arm and shook him for another 3 to 5 seconds before letting him go again. As the Great White turned to swim away, Holcomb picked up his ab iron and struck the shark on the flank as it swam past. After being struck, the shark swam some 15 feet (5 metres) away, bent its body in half "as though made of rubber", turned and charged Holcomb. The shark bumped Holcomb in the chest with its snout, then paused momentarily - as though waiting for some manner of response. As the shark swam past, Holcomb grabbed the corner of its open mouth - hoping to prevent the shark from biting him again. The shark swam off, dragging Holcomb through the water at a speed of 5 to 10 knots (9 to 18 kilometres per hour), the force of the rushing water pulling his diving mask down to his chin. When Holcomb saw the light of the surface a short distance above him, he let go. Surfacing some 40 feet (12 metres) from his tender boat, Holcomb alerted his companions and was promptly rescued. Holcomb was flown by US Coast Guard helicopter to a nearby medical center in San Francisco. Holcomb had suffered three lacerations to his right forearm, 1.5 to 2 inches (3.5 to 5 centimetres) in length, a 3 to 4-inch (8- to 10-centimetre) laceration to his left forearm, and a single 3-inch (7.5-centimetre) laceration to the left thigh. Holcomb was discharged 10 days later with both arms in long casts."