A diver who was attacked by a shark has turned one of its teeth into an earring—and says wearing the ‘trophy’ has given him closure.
Angus Kockott was freediving in the shallow water off a French Polynesian island in May when, out of nowhere, a 7-foot grey reef shark appeared from behind the coral and clamped its jaws on his arm.
The 20-year-old fought off the shark by stabbing it in the gills using a 4-inch knife used for cutting dive lines.
Angus managed to swam back to the boat and tied goggles around his arm to create a makeshift tourniquet.
“If I hadn’t blocked the shark with my arm, it could have gone for my neck,” said the sailor from South Africa. “I would’ve been toast.”
He was rushed by military aircraft to a hospital in Tahiti where, during a six-hour surgery, doctors found a tooth in his arm—and now he wears it with pride.
“It’s been a defining experience in my life,” said the young diver. “And that’s why I got the tooth made into an earring.”
“Wearing it feels like the close of this chapter. I got through it, and I’ve got my trophy hanging on my ear.”
But, he doesn’t blame the animal. “My assumption was it was a territory thing. You can’t blame the animal.”
After a nerve graft and skin graft to try to repair the damage, and three weeks recovering in Tahiti, he flew home to South Africa, where he is undergoing physical therapy and nerve treatments.
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Due to the nerve damage Angus was left with little movement or feeling in his arm, but hopes with continued treatment and therapy it will improve.
He said the incident hasn’t deterred him—and he’s itching to get back in the ocean.
The earring, which came out much better than expected, is a vivid reminder that he emerged as a survivor from a near-death encounter.
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“It’s like a souvenir of what I went through—and it’s going to be a life-long conversation starter!”
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