Oregon man says great white shark knocked him off surfboard but he got away uninjured

Ore. man reports close call with great white shark

COOS BAY, Ore. — An Oregon man says a great white shark knocked him off his surfboard near Winchester Bay.

The World newspaper in Coos Bay reported that 29-year-old David Lowden was paddling his board near the south jetty of the Umpqua River last week when a shark he estimated at nearly 14 feet broke the surface behind him and sent him flying.

Lowden said the shark emerged halfway from the water, broke the fins from his surfboard, and then thrashed around before it disappeared.

Lowden and another man surfed to the beach while a third surfer clambered onto the jetty and ditched his board. Lowden was not injured but filled out a report.

Oregon Institute of Marine Biology professor Alan Shanks said the encounter was typical behavior for great white sharks.

Information from: The World, www.theworldlink.com