BEAST BELOW
Family terrorised by 14ft great white shark which circled them for an hour before LAUNCHING at their boat
A FAMILY have shared footage of their terrifying encounter with a huge great white shark which circled their boat for more than an hour.
David Tuckfield, his wife Tanya and their 14-year-old son Shelby were out fishing when the large beast approached their vessel off the coast of Perth, Western Australia, last Friday.
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Video shows the shark, measuring an estimated 14ft in length, as it attempted to gather in their catch – prompting screams from the woman onboard.
The beast soon began circling the boat, before fixating on the ship’s motor, chomping on it several times.
Only more than an hour later, it eventually decided to swim off as the family returned safely to the shore.
Reflecting on the experience, boat owner David told : “We had a big visitor from the deep come up, nice size white pointer.
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"He tried to take a chunk out of the motor, we were mesmerised.”
David said that he goes fishing often, but has never seen a shark so close to his boat, or of that size.
Adding that it was the highlight of the family’s Easter break, he described the shark as a "big majestic creature."
He said: "We don't appreciate them until you see them up close and it is their playground."
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Last month chilling drone footage revealed just how hard it is to see sharks prowling off the Australian coast as a beast appeared hidden from sight.
It comes after a Brit diving instructor was mauled to death by a 15ft great white shark in Australia just days before safety lines were due to be installed.
Simon Nellist, 35, was killed by the predator just 150m away from the beach at Buchan Point, near Little Bay in Sydney, in the first fatal attack in the area in nearly 60 years.
Witnesses said they heard the victim yell out for help in desperation as the shark pounced in February.
The great white allegedly "attacked vertically" before dragging the man's body out of the ocean.
Expert Lawrence Chlebeck said that the ferocious shark probably mistook the swimmer - reportedly wearing a wetsuit - for a seal when it launched and attacked the Brit.
It came just three months after another Brit Paul Millachip was attacked and killed off the coast of Western Australia.
The 57-year-old was dragged underwater by a 14ft great white when he was killed in front of his horrified family.
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