NSW Surfer Jack Frost’s astonishing tale of survival after Margaret River WA attack by 3.5-metre great white shark

• A surfer recalled how he fought off a 3.5metre great white shark 
• Jack Frost, 24, ‘ended up getting up on its back’ to save himself
• He said he had to show the ocean predator he was ‘a contender’ 

A surfer has recalled the harrowing moment he jumped on the back of a 3.5m great white shark in a desperate bid to save his life before paddling 600m to the shore.

Surfer Jack Frost was attacked by the massive shark at Gnarabup Beach in the Margaret River region in Western Australia last week.

His remarkable survival story made international headlines after his interaction with the shark thrashing in the water was caught on camera. 

The carpenter was hailed for his quick thinking and for keeping calm as he faced off against the ocean predator while his leg was bleeding. 

The 24-year-old man said he ‘ended up getting on its back’ to hopefully scare the shark off after it came up from underneath him.

Mr Frost was surfing at the popular Margaret River break called ‘Boat Ramps’ at 8.45am on July 24 when the great white bit his leg. 

Surfer Jack Frost (pictured) was attacked by the massive shark at Gnarabup Beach in the Margaret River region in Western Australia on July 24

‘It hit me with such force it knocked me off the board and I did a backflip,’ the surfer recalled (stock image)

‘It’s just come from straight up beneath me … it hit me with such force it knocked me off the board and I did a backflip,’ the surfer told the Augusta Margaret River Times.

He then detailed how he tussled with the huge beast as blood from his leg spilled out into the water. 

‘I’m thinking, if I don’t show it I’m a contender, it’s just going to nail me again,’ Mr Frost said.

The shark ripped into his green surfboard during the encounter and thrashed it about leaving distinct teeth marks in it. 

He considered ripping its nose back but thought it best to keep his hand well away from ‘that mouth’. 

‘I ended up getting up on its back and hitting it in the back of the head,’ he said. 

But he told WA Today it didn’t make the shark flinch so he started hitting it on the side towards its gills before the fish ‘shot down into the depths’.

He then knew he needed to make a beeline for the shore telling himself ‘you’re going to be all right, you’re going to survive’.

Mr Frost paddled 600m back to shore on the punctured board despite losing ‘a lot of blood’ and not knowing if the shark was pursuing him. 

He kept calm by controlling his breathing which he had picked up doing intensive sports like mountain bike riding and diving. 

The young man said he had to keep ‘pretty calm’ in his diving pursuits so he instinctively took deep breaths as he paddled in. 

When he got closer to shore he used a leg rope from his board as a tourniquet for his wounded leg. Luckily, he ended up having no nerve or tendon damage. 

Mr Frost said he was thankful for all the immediate support he got when he came ashore including a local woman who drove him to hospital in her car. 

A beach goer had offered to call an ambulance for him but Mr Frost refused saying he didn’t have the money to pay for it. 

He was given first aid by an off-duty nurse and was taken to the Margaret River Hospital in a stable condition with non-life threatening injuries.

Doctors have told him he will recover from the shark bite but said he would need to wait several months before getting back onto the surfboard.

Mr Frost desperately paddled back to shore not knowing whether the shark was following him

The surfer’s face off against the great white was caught on camera (pictured)

The shark ripped into Mr Frost’s green surfboard and thrashed it about leaving distinct teeth marks in it

An image of him sitting on his hospital bed with his bandaged leg which required 18 stitches showed him smiling and giving the thumbs up.

Mr Frost said he wouldn’t let the near-death experience scare him off and was planning to travel up north with his partner Lolly Mann. 

Ms Mann, who is a Sydney school teacher, said her boyfriend being a very calm and strong person is what saved him from the shark. 

She said it’s not every day you get to save yourself.  

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