Shark attack survivors find solace in unity
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The first rule of Bite Club is you talk to Dave Pearson, a shark attack survivor who connects hundreds of people from around the world to support each other 鈥渂eyond the bite.鈥
The 58-year-old almost died a decade ago when a bull shark tore into his arm while he was surfing off Australia鈥檚 east coast.
Since the day when friends hauled him to shore 鈥 away from the three-meter predator that dragged him around the bottom of the ocean before losing interest 鈥 he has been helping others escape the psychological grip of nightmare attacks.
鈥淢y life is shark attacks,鈥 the wind, sun and surf-weathered Aussie said, still dripping wet after another day on the waves at the beach where he was bitten.
鈥淵ou know if there鈥檚 a shark attack somewhere in the world, I鈥檒l hear about it.鈥
Pearson is the founder of Bite Club, initially a small group for survivors of shark encounters that now includes victims of dog maulings, alligator bites and even a hippo attack.
Its members 鈥 nearly 400 people in all 鈥 usually meet in person at least once a year, but some meet more often for a casual surf while the rest keep in contact on social media.
The club acts as a network for survivors to seek out support from the group when they need it most, and Pearson says he spends most nights speaking with at least one member over the phone.
He realized the power of talking to others who shared his ordeal even before he had left the hospital. By chance, Lisa Mondy 鈥 bitten a few days before him 鈥 was recovering in the same facility.
鈥淓verybody was there to wish me the best, but until I spoke with Lisa it was like, they didn鈥檛 really understand what my head was going through,鈥 said Pearson.
The brutality of maulings 鈥 combined with the media attention they receive 鈥 can shake survivors, victims, their relatives and rescuers for years and in some cases cause post-traumatic stress disorder.
When Kevin Young鈥檚 19-year-old son Zac was killed by a tiger shark while surfing on a reef near Coffs Harbour in 2013, he felt like a hurricane had swallowed him.
鈥淚 was inside the eye of that storm, and I feel like I鈥檝e been here ever since,鈥 Young said.
His son鈥檚 legs were almost completely severed in the attack but, clinging to life, he paddled across to his three friends to tell them he loved them and prayed for their protection from the killer shark lurking below.
Surrounded by water thick with their friend鈥檚 blood, the trio 鈥 at the time aged 14, 15 and 19 鈥 paddled Zac back to shore on their shoulders, in a journey that took nearly half an hour.
By the time they reached the beach, nothing could be done to revive Young鈥檚 son, despite their efforts.
鈥淭hose three boys, in my mind, became men that day,鈥 said Young. 鈥淚鈥檓 indebted to them for life in what they tried to do for my son.鈥
Like Pearson, Young speaks of others鈥 pain before his own. Each of his son鈥檚 rescuers has paid a psychological price, he said.
鈥淲hether it鈥檚 a partner, the wife, the son, the daughter, a friend, or just a community member 鈥 there鈥檚 so many people affected.鈥
Young says it is a privilege to serve in a club that helps support people who would otherwise be left to struggle alone.
That includes people like Ray Short, who was 13 years old in 1966 when a shark clamped down on his leg while swimming near Wollongong.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just something that was never there when I was young. If you got to meet or hear from one or two other shark bite victims, it was amazing,鈥 Short said.
鈥淣ow there鈥檚 a group there that can all sit and relate to each other.鈥
Pearson says that while the group is closely connected, the perspective of members is varied: Some become anti-shark, pushing for culls, while others become conservationists.
Similarly, paths to recovery differ. But leaving the ocean behind was never an option for Pearson 鈥 or for many in the group.
鈥淪urfing has changed for me, and in fact, it鈥檚 probably more special now than it used to be because I know the consequences,鈥 he said.
Young knows at least one of his son鈥檚 friends struggled to return to the waves. But 鈥渁ll of us are surfers 鈥 that鈥檚 our place, that鈥檚 our zen place,鈥 he added.
Shark attacks are still incredibly rare, but last year was especially tough for the group, with seven people killed in 22 unprovoked incidents around Australia, according to the Taronga Conservation Society.
This makes it the deadliest country in the world for shark bites in 2020, according to global data compiled by the Florida Museum of Natural History鈥檚 shark research program.
鈥淚 met with probably four families last year who lost someone, and it is tough,鈥 Pearson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard, every attack brings your attack back.鈥
Pearson still works hard for his members, but says that more than anything, he wants to prevent more people joining the Bite Club.
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