Surfer’s lucky escape after heart-stopping close encounter with shark

A NSW surfer has had a heart-stopping close encounter with a shark on the state’s North Coast.

Matthew Devine was in the water at Cabarita Beach on Sunday when he was knocked from his board and thrown into the water.

Footage shows the surfer on his board when the shark starts to circle.

Devine said it happened so fast and the shark grabbed his leg.

He paddled back into shore and alerted local lifesavers.

The surfer said he felt “very lucky” and “happy” to have escaped without injury.

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“I just put my legs up and thought ‘s---, I’m a goner here’,” he said.

“I kept paddling and made it to the beach.”

It is one of several shark attacks at Cabarita Beach in recent years.

Last year a great white shark took a chuck out of a surfer’s board.

The encounter happened weeks after a 16-year-old boy was also attacked.

Shark Safe NSW has several recommendations to reduce the risk of encountering a shark.

Swimmers should stay close to shore when swimming, stay out of the water with bleeding cuts or wounds and swim with other people.

Beachgoers should also avoid swimming and surfing at dawn, dusk and night.