( Mr Trevor Burns along with Ms Frankcom)
An Australian has earned a bravery award for grabbing a 3.7m great white shark by the tail as it heavily hammered a snorkeller.
On Monday, March 25, Mr Trevor Burns received the Star of Courage, for grappling with the shark and then rescuing its victim, Ms Elyse Frankcom, off the southwest coast town of Rockingham in 2010. The only higher Australian civilian award for bravery is the Cross of Valor.
Ms Frankcom was a 19-year-old guide showing dolphins to a group of a dozen tourist snorkellers including Mr Burns when the shark clamped her thighs in its jaws.
To conclude, Mr Burns says he clung to the tail for several seconds despite its violent thrashing before the shark released Ms Frankcom and swam away.
It was really an absolute courageous act of rescue and required lots of guts!
(AW:Samrat Biswas)
