On Sunday the 11th of January 2009. Hannah Mighall was surfing at Bailey’s Rocks off Binalong Bay in eastern Tasmania with her cousin, who was visiting from Coolangatta in Queensland.

All of a sudden she saw a massive shadow, and realized it had to be a shark. The 5 metre long Great White took a massive bite of her leg, and pulled her under several times. The water was turning red, her cousin Syb Mundy, rushed over to save her. He punched the shark in the head until it let go of Hannah. The shark then took a bite from the board . Syb got Hannah on his board and paddled into to shore. The shark followed until it got shallow. Hannah was then was taken to Hobart Hospital. She was given plastic surgery on her right leg. Senior Sergeant Jason Elmer of St Helens Police said “She was really clam, she was brave, probably in a little bit of shock. There was no tears”.

Hannah said ” It pulled away from me and I looked down and saw this black thing coming back up at me again it was massive, it didn’t look real”.

I think she is very lucky to be alive. And i hope she will be back in the water some day.

By Jon Ristrom 6A