100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

'Beautiful human': shark attack survivor makes exhilarating return to the ocean

Do you have a news tip? Click here to send to our news team.

Busy rubbish tip set to close temporarily

A busy waste precinct is set to close for six weeks as it undergoes a major transformation to help better manage the region’s waste. Nambour More

Road access restored three years after landslide

A road that was closed after being hit by a landslide during the February 2022 floods has reopened after a $40 million reconstruction effort. The More

Rangers investigate mutilation of dead dingo

A dingo on K’gari has been deliberately decapitated after being struck by a vehicle. The Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) is More

Teens charged with murder after man’s stabbing death

Two teenagers have been charged with murder after a man was found stabbed to death outside his home. The 57-year-old man, identified in media reports More

Photo of the day: changing foliage

“There are some beautiful colours lining the roads at Kenilworth at the moment,” writes Sandy Gillis. If you have a photo of the day offering, More

More fines issued in blitz on illegal camping

A further 20 fines have been issued to people illegally camping in vans as a crackdown on the practice continues. Noosa Council’s latest blitz with More

A popular Sunshine Coast surfer has made a heartwarming return to the ocean nine months after a serious shark attack.

Joe Hoffman was attacked by a three-metre Great White, just before 4.30pm on July 5, 2021, off Crescent Head in New South Wales.

Joe Hoffmann’s board after the attack last July.

The born and bred in Mudjimba man, who is now 26, sustained severe injuries to his right arm and was airlifted to Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital where he underwent multiple extensive surgeries.

Joe received an outpouring of community support and a Go Fund Me page raised almost $70,000 to help cover medical bills.

After months of recovery and rehabilitation to maximise functionality of his right arm, Joe has slowly been returning to the water and the pastime he loves.

A collection of images captured on a perfect Noosa day and shared by local surf photographer, Kane Brown, has wonderfully depicted the comeback.

Kane shared 17 images on Instagram in a mixture of black and white and colour with the caption: “Joe/Noosa. It’s so nice to see this beautiful human back in the ocean.”

Joe Hoffman pictured at Noosa by photographer Kane Brown.

The post has received hundreds of likes and many have responded with emojis to congratulate Joe.

One comment read: “These (are) truly special.”

Like stories about inspirational people? So do we. Help us publish more free articles by subscribing to our daily news feed. All it requires is your name and email. See SUBSCRIBE at the top of this article.

Joe has been sharing his journey through his own social media and maintained he did not have any hard feelings toward the shark.

Joe Hoffman paddles out at Noosa. Picture: Kane Brown

“I still don’t really think ‘attacked’ neatly describes how I feel about my run (in) with a shark,” Joes wrote in a post on Instagram.

“Certainty not emotionally … as though a 10ft GW would purposely ever try and hurt my feelings.

“Bitten yeah but clearly a mistaken identity.”

Joe Hoffman in full flight at Noosa National Park. Picture: Kane Brown

Joe’s father Bill – a prominent Sunshine Coast journalist, mother Wendy and sister Nina are well known in the community.

They have previously thanked the support received by both the Mudjimba and Byron Bay community, where Joe had been living.

 

 

 

Subscribe to SCN’s free daily news email

This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
[scn_go_back_button] Return Home
Share