Imagine setting sail for an exotic location featuring exceptional scenery and perfect seclusion. Such ideal places simply offer golden sandy beaches and sheer sky-blue waters which appear so dazzling that you feel as though hundreds of shiny rocks are putting on a phenomenal light show underneath. Surely, all of it sounds so wonderful that you simply can’t picture it otherwise. Undoubtedly, this is what today’s shark attacks survivors must have thought before setting foot on an exotic island situated somewhere out there beyond the horizon. Naturally, who would have suspected they’d experience such a horrible event while lying on the beach and soaking up the sun – hardly anyone, right?

Unfortunately, many have been the cases of severe and even deadly shark attacks which have sent dozens of beach lovers and surfers right into the emergency room. Gladly, our heroes were obviously born under a lucky star. Indeed, it sounds a bit crazy and absurd since they might have lost their lives as well… Without further explanations, meet the fortunate survivors of extreme and dreadful shark attacks!

15. Steven Robles

Frankly, we really may not be able to imagine how it might have felt for Steven Robles -being another fitting example of a great swimmer – when he encountered that foaming mad shark. While simply traversing the open water, Steven has had no thoughts of meeting this extremely dangerous sea monster. But, unfortunately, the Californian swimmer had no other option but to fight the hungry shark off and save his own skin, literally speaking. According to many theses, what’s believed to have angered the shark is a hook from a fishing rod. This could have been why the shark turned mad and chased the innocent swimmer. Really? How crazy?!

14. Rodney Fox

Filled with enthusiasm and determination regarding his spearfishing contest held in Australia, Rodney Fox did not have the slightest clue of the quite rapid turn of events that would occur on that fateful day. While defending his reputation and title as a great spearfisher, the Australian daredevil had no idea of the dreadful experience he was about to undergo. Without knowing how or what might have attracted that big shark coming for him with an open toothy mouth, Rodney Fox was indeed pretty unfortunate given his hair-raising encounter with the shark, but after all, he now has quite a story to tell his friends and relatives. Actually, he did suffer some big gashes back then, however his wetsuit might have prevented worse outcomes from occurring as well. Thanks to that, Rodney Fox managed to survive the dreadful bites with a bit of a luck.

13. Rick Moore

Meet another unfortunate swimmer who probably could have never imagined what his fate had in store for him that day. While enjoying the lovely weather and soaking up the sun, a sharp painful cry suddenly reached his ears. It was precisely there on the Maui beach where a young German lady ended up dreadfully threatened by a hungry shark. Being attacked at no more than 100 meters offshore, Rick was only a couple of minutes away from her when the water around her was painted red. The only thought on Rick’s mind was to swim her back to the safe shore as quickly as possible, basically turning himself into an easy target for the shark. Eventually, the young woman reached the shore safe and sound, however Rick didn’t manage to help his own arm from the claws of death. In his own words: “I just simply cannot get her screams out of my head.  At my age, I’ve surely seen a lot.”

12. Achmat Hassiem

Have you heard of his heroic deeds? If not, then you’ve certainly found yourself in the right place. Filled with bravery and prowess, Achmat supposedly rushed to help his younger brother after performing some training duties as a beach lifeguard. If you’re wondering how all of this could have happened, Achmat and his brother had been enjoying surfing in South African when Achmat suddenly spotted a bizarre dark spot on the surface. That mysterious dark shade happened to be the silhouette of a giant white shark swimming directly toward his brother. Maybe the shark had plans to turn him into its dinner, but luckily, Achmat had success in taking its attention off his brother. Regrettably, Achmat lost his right leg while trying to save his own life after saving his brother’s.

11. Jon Hines

Given his extreme and critical encounter with what’s believed to be a gigantic white shark, Jon Hines is nothing but a legendary name whose powerful survival instincts were what saved him from a painful and untimely death. As unthinkable and impossible as it may sound, Jon Hines presumably rejoiced in surfing the Western Australian coast while a shark attacked him out of thin air. Without giving up even for a second, Jon supposedly started punching the shark as hard as possible when another recognizable surfer saw him fighting off the beast. The stranger helped him reach the shore as he contributed to his well-being and recovery eventually. Of course, Jon’s body and arm still keep the memory of this awful day. But gladly, he survived that dreadful shark attack which could have been the end of him.

10. Shannon Ainslie

In his efforts to catch the waves at Nahoon Reef, Shannon Ainslie had probably thought of anything but the rare possibility of a shark coming his way. Much to his surprise, really gotten himself in deep water, literally speaking, when a pair of white sharks attacked him from both sides. Surely, he felt exactly what many other unfortunate divers, swimmers, and surfers have already experienced – an angry-looking big shark swimming towards them as swiftly as an arrow. Is there anything scarier than this image? In truth, it must have been even worse for Shannon himself who was dragged underwater by one of the sharks as the other one supposedly targeted the surfer’s hand and chest area.

9. Todd Endris

The frightful shark attack took place on a Californian beach along the coast of Monterey. Mr. Todd Endris happened to be there, as usual, plainly to take the daily stress off his shoulders, when all of a sudden a colossal white monster targeted him without a drop of mercy. The unexpected onslaught was so severe that the shark had left him in a life-threatening state. Indeed, the moment was really critical for Todd whose back had been completely skinned and his left leg brutally chomped right up to the very bone. Luckily for him, a good-natured pod of harmless dolphins happened to be around. The pod created something of a ring to protect him from the white shark and chased it away. Gladly, Todd survived even though the scars he was left with are really severe.

8. Doug Niblack

Believe it or not, Doug Niblack’s unexpected and quite frightening encounter with a great white shark ended with him escaping injury. While enjoying his surfing time, Doug has felt that there was something wrong with his surfboard. It had been jarred, according to his words. The moment when he found out what had actually caused it must have been his worst nightmare. Without knowing how it could have happened, Doug Niblack ended up on the shark’s back. Filled with terror and fright, he’s paddled to his board, eventually reaching the shore safe and sound. It does sound pretty insane, doesn’t it? Thankfully, Doug’s crazy and quite absurd encounter with that shark left him unharmed and probably a bit more attentive for future surfing adventures.

7. Henri Bource

It’s about time – meet Mr. Henri Bource who’s not only a diver but a filmmaker as well. Indeed, no stories can be completely identical neither in plot lines nor scenes, and Henri Bource’s spine-chilling and unique encounter with a shark is certainly a great example of this. While snapping shots underwater, Henri was suddenly approached by a big shark which certainly did not wait long before locking its sharp teeth into his leg. Eventually, this hair-raising experience left him without one of his legs, but today it doesn’t seem to stop him from plunging into deep waters again. Besides, he’s often been sought-after for his skills and experience by many Hollywood producers and directors. Just to mention one, we’re sure you’re all aware of the phenomenal Steven Spielberg and his Jaws movie, right?

6. Dave Quinlivan

Who would have known that a lovely beach holiday enriched with unique surfing emotions and adventures could be destroyed like this? Our next hero on a surfboard has probably thought so after facing one of the most dreadful sea creatures ready to eat him alive! While ski paddling, Dave initially noticed that there was something untypical about the dolphins’ behavior, but he didn’t pay it enough attention. A second passed by and a big shark grasped his leg pulling him harder and harder towards its mouth. Washed over with extreme fright, Dave could have escaped the bloody scene earlier if it hadn’t been for the totally expected shock and state of stupor. Luckily, Dave got his rationality back reaching the shore alive eventually.

5. Bethany Hamilton

Here we go with the only female on this horrifying list of spine-tingling cases of extremely brutal shark attacks which have left so many surfers, divers and swimmers mauled or even worse – mercilessly killed. Thankfully, Bethany Hamilton belongs to the group of the lucky survivors, although she has also sacrificed one of her arms following the blood-curdling event. Indeed, the lovely personality of Bethany has been circling around on the web for a while as she has become a source of inspiration for many Hollywood movie productions focusing on personal strength and beliefs in a better future. Bethany’s arm was amputated after the severe and unrecoverable wounds caused by the shark attack she suffered. But regardless of the frightful circumstances, Bethany still rides the waves without any fear of what might happen in the open sea at any time.

4. Seth Mead

Seth’s story about his gruesome encounter with a shark is surely one that can make you lose your sleep tonight. Mead experienced a terrifying bite that will probably remain locked in his mind forever. The surfer might have seen sharks before, but maybe he hadn’t been approached so closely by them. No warning or hint was there for the next moment, fraught with extreme terror and blood painting the waves red all over. While surfing, a great white shark came nearby him only to sink its sharp teeth into his bare and unprotected skin. Thankfully, this unexpected “bite” happened to be only a test as sharks often tend to “investigate” their “meals” before dining on them eventually.

3. Krishna Thompson

Indeed, stories about survival have always been inspirational. Sadly, today’s heroes we’ve presented to your attention aren’t the only ones who have experienced such awful occurrences. In this regard, Krishna Thompson may be just another name on this roundup, however his strong and decisive personality has surely helped him overcome these dreadful events and get back to his feet again. The 46-year-old man lost his leg following a gruesome shark attack which left society heartbroken and completely shattered. Gladly, his story has a happy ending, unlike many other experienced surfers, swimmers, and divers who have met an untimely death while practicing their favorite water sport.

2. Russell Easton

Actually, Russell Easton’s horrifying story about what he has experienced underwater certainly includes a specific spine-chilling sea monster with huge sharp teeth. In the process of having some professional photos taken, Russel’s camera unexpectedly caught a scary mouthful of huge teeth ready to tear him apart and probably slice him in half. Luckily, Russell threw the camera directly into its huge mouth with the hopes of the beast swimming away and allowing him to reach safe land. Fortunately, he saved his own skin as the shark only left him with a slew of scary memories.

1. Sydney Levy And Her Brave Mother

Sydney and her brave mother happened to be in New Smyrna Beach, Florida only to soak up the hot sun and have some fun riding the waves. No hints of the great terror came their way at all; and just when everything seemed almost perfect, a big shark pulled the 15-year-old daughter under the water. Thankfully, Sydney’s mother didn’t allow the panic to reach her, so she pulled her daughter back onto the surfboard, yelling for help. Of course, sharks don’t give up so easily and quickly, so they continued circling around the two women and their surfboards until rescuers helped them swim back to the shore.