A MAN who caught a 1.3-meter (4-ft.) shark with his bare hands off an Australian beach said on Friday he only tried the feat because he was drunk on vodka.

Phillip Kerkhof was fishing off a jetty at Louth Bay, a town on South Australia state's Eyre Peninsula 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) west of Sydney, when he spotted the bronze whaler shark swimming in the shallows, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

"I just snuck up behind him, and eventually I went for the big grab and I fluked it and got him," Kerkhof said.

"He was just thrashing around in the water ... starting to turn around and try to bite me and I thought 'well, it's amazing what vodka does'," Kerkhof said.

The shark bit a hole in Kerkhof's jeans, but he was uninjured.

"It's not something I'd recommend to do. When I sobered up I thought about it and I said, 'I'm a bit of an idiot for doing it'," Kerkhof said.

Many species of sharks are common in Australian waters, and there are an average of 15 shark attacks per year in the country - roughly one person each year is killed by a shark.

Last month, an abalone diver had an incredible escape after being almost swallowed head first by a huge shark off the New South Wales state coast.

It IS amazing what vodka does.

Link

_panda_

I'm lost

November 2005

FEB 16, 2007 01:08 PM

Tahts funny, all vodka really does to me is have me wake up hearing "OMG! I SLEPT WITH PANDA!"

wheezy_e

Boulder City, NV

April 2004

FEB 16, 2007 04:17 PM

gotta love Australia. The man deserves to have that picture with that title on every page on the internet:

wottan

Vancouver, BC

July 2004

FEB 16, 2007 07:51 PM

It occured to me after that that photo was awesome, but I missed the edit time and hoped someone else would post it

Id put that on my business cards

turin

Denver, CO

October 2003

FEB 16, 2007 09:53 PM

australian for "good idea."

Postblank

New Brunswick, NJ

June 2004

FEB 16, 2007 10:05 PM

I like how a potential Darwin award turned into probably having a job with Shark Week and that Miller Lite Man-Law commercial campaign for life.

Kes

USA

August 2006

FEB 16, 2007 11:46 PM

Hell, I've done that sober.

RudieCantFail

Baton Rouge, LA

January 2006

FEB 16, 2007 11:48 PM

A drunk Australian... will wonders never cease.

Squire

I'm lost

November 2003

FEB 17, 2007 12:34 AM

Isn't someone supposed to say "I fucking hate sharks" now?

wildswan

I'm lost

June 2006

FEB 17, 2007 12:41 AM

turin said:
australian for "good idea."

Thanks, turin.

Cash

USA

OLD SKOOL

FEB 17, 2007 03:42 AM

they're still fucking assholes.

Cash

USA

OLD SKOOL

FEB 17, 2007 03:50 AM

fullmoonkisses

United Kingdom

September 2006

FEB 17, 2007 08:25 AM

I have done WAY better things whilst drunk on vodka...only...I can't remember any of 'em!

Squire

I'm lost

November 2003

FEB 17, 2007 12:05 PM

Cash said:
they're still fucking assholes.

Oh yeah. Assholes. Thats what I meant. Its been a while . . . .

TinfoilHalo

Pittsburgh, PA

October 2002

FEB 17, 2007 12:45 PM

On "Shark Action News" at 11:00 the main story of the night was "Local shark in fair condition this evening after a brutal man attack . "

Tallboy66

Chicago, IL

January 2005

FEB 17, 2007 02:36 PM

A MAN who caught a 1.3-meter (4-ft.) shark with his bare hands off an Australian beach said on Friday he only tried the feat because he was drunk on vodka.

How the hell does a shark drink Vodka?

jtemperance

Chicago, IL

January 2004

FEB 17, 2007 03:20 PM

Gin, unfortunately, only makes you guppie-proof.

Suicide_Earl

Minneapolis, MN

November 2005

FEB 17, 2007 03:22 PM

So that's what's in Batman's Shark Repellent!

Cassiel

Aurora, CO

September 2004

FEB 17, 2007 03:31 PM

but what brand of vodka??!!

Tritone

Saint Paul, MN

May 2004

FEB 17, 2007 03:36 PM

Cassiel said:
but what brand of vodka??!!

For Batman's Shark Repellant? Look at the shark's face. Either it's Karkov, or something even cheaper.

saltonsea

Toronto, ON

July 2004

FEB 17, 2007 04:54 PM

also, a license to kill:

skeptik

New Orleans, LA

February 2004

FEB 18, 2007 01:46 AM

New drink :

Great White Russian

you don't see it coming, and it's got a hell of a bite.

BonnieBlu

HOPEFUL

Australia

FEB 18, 2007 11:42 PM

Ahhh, im so proud of my country. You gotta love it really...

Except our enigmatic leader...who is neither enigmatic or a leader.

Vasilisa

United Kingdom

September 2006

FEB 19, 2007 08:08 AM

fuck yeh! thats why we russians are invincible!

BOARDS:

TOPICS:

Vancouver, BC

July 2004

FEB 16, 2007 01:00 PM

I'm lost

November 2005

FEB 16, 2007 01:08 PM

Boulder City, NV

April 2004

FEB 16, 2007 04:17 PM

Vancouver, BC

July 2004

FEB 16, 2007 07:51 PM

Denver, CO

October 2003

FEB 16, 2007 09:53 PM

New Brunswick, NJ

June 2004

FEB 16, 2007 10:05 PM

USA

August 2006

FEB 16, 2007 11:46 PM

Baton Rouge, LA

January 2006

FEB 16, 2007 11:48 PM

Squire

I'm lost

November 2003

FEB 17, 2007 12:34 AM

I'm lost

June 2006

FEB 17, 2007 12:41 AM

Cash

USA

OLD SKOOL

FEB 17, 2007 03:42 AM

Cash

USA

OLD SKOOL

FEB 17, 2007 03:50 AM

United Kingdom

September 2006

FEB 17, 2007 08:25 AM

Squire

I'm lost

November 2003

FEB 17, 2007 12:05 PM

Pittsburgh, PA

October 2002

FEB 17, 2007 12:45 PM

Chicago, IL

January 2005

FEB 17, 2007 02:36 PM

jtemperance

Chicago, IL

January 2004

FEB 17, 2007 03:20 PM

Minneapolis, MN

November 2005

FEB 17, 2007 03:22 PM

Aurora, CO

September 2004

FEB 17, 2007 03:31 PM

Saint Paul, MN

May 2004

FEB 17, 2007 03:36 PM

Toronto, ON

July 2004

FEB 17, 2007 04:54 PM

New Orleans, LA

February 2004

FEB 18, 2007 01:46 AM

HOPEFUL

Australia

FEB 18, 2007 11:42 PM

United Kingdom

September 2006

FEB 19, 2007 08:08 AM