Close encounter with Great White Shark : Surfer approached by shark at crowded West Beach

This is the frightening moment a three-metre Great White started trailing a surfer back to shore, just two weeks before another man lost his arm and hand in a nearby shark attack.

Andy Johnston was out with a small group of surfers at West Beach near Esperance, south-east of Perth, on September 21 when people ashore spotted the dark shadow looming.

Other surfers managed to clear the water onto a reef after people started to honk their car horns to warn of the approaching shark, but Mr Johnston opted to stay put.

'I'd rather try to hold my ground against it and not freak out and make a commotion,' he told the Esperance Express following his close encounter.

'If you're going to get chomped then you're going to get chomped - there's nothing you can do about it.'

The photos showing just how close Mr Johnston came only emerged on Thursday - a month after his close encounter.

Frits De Bruyn, who was on holiday in Western Australia at the time, was standing at a nearby lookout and managed to capture the drama.

'We were at a lookout and we saw a shadow in the water. It became evident it was shark and everyone started shouting. There was about a dozen surfers and paddle boarders in the water,' Mr De Bruyn told Daily Mail Australia.

'He followed him to shore for a bit... he was only a body-length behind him.

'The surfer went straight back out a few minutes after the shark swam away.'

The un-fazed surfer said he didn't even think the shark posed a threat, but admits if things had gone badly it would have been traumatic for anyone who witnessed the attack.

'It seemed just curious and I didn't want to give it a reason to chase me so I tried to behave casually and keep an eye on it,' Andy Johnston said.

'But I didn't know it came up quite so close as I was paddling into the wave to come into the beach with the other lads.

'If you're going to say a shark is a threat every time you see one, well that's not true.

'They're doing their thing and we're doing our thing.

'I probably have a higher risk of breaking my neck on that reef than the shark causing me harm.'

Two weeks after Mr Johnston's close encounter, Sean Pollard was attacked at nearby Wylie Bay, east of Esperance, on October 2.

The 23-year-old lost his left forearm and his other hand at the wrist when he was mauled while surfing.

Mr Pollard was dragged from the water where fellow beachgoers wrapped towels around his bleeding injuries.

He was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital.

Soon after, two great white sharks were caught and killed drum lines were deployed Western Australia's Department of Fisheries.

The dead sharks were taken to Perth for research and Mr Pollard's surfboard was being examined by experts.

Music : The Escalation by Kevin MacLeod
Blog : http://patrynworldlatestnews.blogspot.com
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/patryn.worldlatestnews

---

Closed Caption:

yeah
this is a frightening moment 2 3 meter
great white started draining a surfer
back to shore
just two weeks before another man lost
his arm and hand in a nearby shark
attack
Andy johnston was out with a small group
of surface and west beach near Esperance
south east of perth on sep tember 21
when people are sure spot in the dark
shadow looming other surface managed to
clear the water onto a reef after people
started to hunt their car horns to one
of the approaching shark with mr.
Johnston opted to stay put
I'd rather try to hold my ground against
it and not freak out and make a
commotion
he told the Esperance express following
is close encounter
if you're going to get jump then you're
going to get jumped
there's nothing you can do about it the
photos showing just how close mr.
Johnston came only emerged on Thursday a
month after his close encounter
mr. Brown who was on holiday in Western
Australia at the time was standing at a
nearby lookout and managed to capture
the drama
we were at a lookout and we saw a shadow
in the water
it became evident it was shark and
everyone started shouting there was
about a dozen surface and battle borders
in the water
mr. Brent old he followed him to shore
for a bit
he was only a body lengths behind him
the surfer went straight back out a few
minutes after the shark swam away the UN
phased surface said he didn't even think
the shark posed a threat but admits if
things had gone badly
it would have been dramatic for anyone
who witnessed the attack
it seemed just curious and I didn't want
to give it a reason to chase me so I
tried to behave casually and keep an eye
on it
Andy Johnston said but I didn't know it
came up quite so close as I was paddling
into the wave to come in to the beach
with the other lads
if you're going to see a shark is a
threat every time you see one
well that's not true they were doing
their thing and we're doing our thing I
probably have a higher risk of breaking
my neck on that
if than a shark causing me harm two
weeks after mr. Johnston's close
encounter
Sean Pollard was attacked in nearby
while ebay east of Esperance on october
to the 23 year old lost his left forearm
and his other hand at the wrist when he
was mauled while surfing
mr. Pollard was dragged from the water
where fellow beachgoers rap towels
around his bleeding injuries
he was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital
soon after two great white sharks were
caught and killed run lines were
deployed western australia's Department
of Fisheries the dead sharks were taken
to Perth for research and mr. Pollard's
surfboard was being examined by experts
yeah