UK surfer punches shark to survive attack

A 28-year-old British surfer narrowly escaped a vicious shark attack after he punched the marine predator which had sunk its teeth into his leg while surfboarding in New Zealand.
Darren Mills was attacked by a shark while surfboarding 50 metres offshore at Porpoise Bay, in the Catlins area of eastern Southland, last week.
Mills, originally from Crawley in Sussex but now living in Queenstown, suffered three deep gashes between his thigh and his calf as the shark latched on to his leg, 'The Telegraph' reported.
"When it hit me, it sort of pushed me out and, and I sort of realised what was going on and I could see it," he told Television New Zealand's One News programme.

"I tried to punch it but it was more like a push. I was pretty scared it was going to come back," Mills said.
Mills managed to stay on his board and ride a wave back to the shore.
A holidaying doctor and nurse on the shore attended to Mills until a rescue helicopter arrived to fly him to a hospital.