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Gray reef shark
Unprovoked shark attacks on humans are a relatively rare occurrence in the grand scheme of things. However, one guy who was spearfishing in Fiji captured the moment he became the victim of one and nearly lost a limb as a result.
Jaws is largely responsible for convincing multiple generations of beachgoers that sharks are bloodthirsty animals that won’t think twice about targeting humans in search of a meal, but that belief doesn’t really have any basis in reality.
You are statistically more likely to be killed by lightning, falling off a ladder, or being struck by a coconut dropping from a tree than you are by a shark; in 2025, there were a grand total of nine fatalities worldwide (and just a single one in the United States), which comprised 13% of the 65 incidents classified as unprovoked attacks.
As of the start of July, there had been 30 attacks of that manner reported around the globe, but that number has risen by one due to what transpired in Fiji earlier this month.
A spearfisher underwent four surgeries to save his leg after being attacked by a shark in Fiji
The best way to avoid being attacked by a shark is to avoid entering the waters they call home, but plenty of people are willing to do exactly that while engaging in a variety of aquatic activities.
That includes Henry Gibbs, a New Zealand native who’s racked up more than 116,000 followers on Instagram while chronicling his adventures in the waters surrounding that country and beyond.
Gibbs recently decided to head up to Fiji, and he was doing some spearfishing on July 18th when things took an unfortunate turn.
He encountered a gray reef shark that he noticed was getting increasingly aggressive during the dive, and he admitted he regretted his decision to keep fishing in the caption accompanying the video that showed the animal charging at him before latching onto his leg.
Riggs said the shark started “death rolling” after it chomped down on his right calf, and he credited his fellow divers for helping him get out of the water and administering first aid once he ended up on the boat that ferried him to the hospital for treatment.
He posted some pictures of himself inside that facility after undergoing four surgeries and a skin graft, and he credited the doctors who saved his leg while adding he was able to avoid nerve damage that could have impacted the use of his foot.