A former Australian Navy clearance diver, Paul de Gelder, survived a brutal bull shark attack in Sydney Harbour in February 2009, losing his right hand and leg. The eight-second ordeal unfolded during a routine counter-terrorism exercise, transforming a routine training day into a life-or-death struggle.
De Gelder, then 31, described the attack as feeling like being torn apart by rows of razor blades. The bull shark initially seized his right hand and leg in a single bite, then began a violent thrashing that pulled him underwater. “I tried to fight it off, but it had my hand, so I couldn’t do anything with it,” he recounted. He attempted to fight back, recalling childhood lessons to strike a shark in the eye, but the shark’s movements and the intense pain hampered his efforts.
“The pain was just so all-encompassing that the fight just went out of me,” de Gelder said. “I was a rag doll in this monster’s mouth while getting thrashed around underwater. I was in total agony and drowning at the same time.” He described attempting to jab, punch, and push the shark, alternating between being submerged and briefly surfacing for air.
Despite the horrific injuries, de Gelder managed to swim towards a safety boat, instinctively applying pressure to his bleeding leg, recalling his medical training. A member of the Navy team then stemmed the arterial bleed in his leg, a crucial intervention that saved his life, according to doctors. He realized his hand was missing only when attempting to grab a stroke with his right arm.
Prior to the attack, de Gelder admitted to harboring a deep-seated fear of sharks while working as a diver defusing underwater explosives. Paradoxically, that fear vanished after the encounter. “I was petrified of them before, and now for some reason, I’m just not. I don’t recognize. Been there, done that,” he stated.
De Gelder spent nine weeks in hospital and remarkably returned to military training within six months, continuing to instruct Navy divers for several years. He left full-time Navy service in August 2012. Since then, he has become a globally recognized motivational speaker, sharing his story of resilience and adaptability. He has spoken at venues including the United Nations in New York and to the US Navy in San Diego, as well as to corporate and charity organizations in Australia.
De Gelder’s perspective on sharks has undergone a significant transformation. He now champions their ecological importance, stating, “Before the shark attack, I thought killing sharks was a great idea, but now I love them, and I don’t get to swim with them as much as I would like to.” He has also appeared on Shark Week, including as a guest trainer on the Australian version of “The Biggest Loser” and in the Discovery Channel program “Great White Matrix” in 2014.
De Gelder currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and continues to deliver his signature keynote, “Uncaged: Thriving Through Fear and Change,” drawing on his military training and experience to inspire audiences to overcome their own challenges. His mantra, “Improvise, Adapt, Overcome,” provides a framework for navigating change and adversity.
