What do you recall about the moment you were attacked by a shark?

In May 2024, I was 20 years old, working on a yacht that was sailing across the Pacific. While in French Polynesia in the South Pacific, I went free diving. A 2.5-metre shark attacked me and severely injured my left arm.

The pain was incredible. I could feel the shark's teeth against my bones.

In the movies, time slows down when something like that happens. And it really felt that way for me too. I had enough time to think through everything as if it were happening in slow motion.

When I saw the shark approaching, I instinctively covered my face and neck with my left arm. I grabbed a small diving knife from my wetsuit pocket and stabbed the shark several times in its gills. When it swam away, I was bleeding heavily. I swam to a nearby coral outcrop, used my goggles to make a tourniquet, and shouted to alert my best friend and the rest of the crew.

How do you get medical help when it happens in the middle of nowhere?

My crewmates sailed for two hours through shallow coral reefs, where a boat could easily run aground, to reach the small island of Mangareva. A police vehicle rushed me to the local clinic.

All the clinic staff were at home for their siesta, which meant I almost bled out on the clinic floor while we waited for everyone to run back to work.

I was eventually stabilised at the clinic. From there, a French military aircraft airlifted me to the nearest hospital, which was almost two thousand kilometres away on the island of Tahiti.

More than twelve hours after the attack, I arrived at the hospital in Tahiti for emergency surgery, which lasted over four hours. What the surgeons achieved was nothing short of a miracle - reattaching as many tendons, nerves and muscles as possible to save my arm.

I had travel insurance and that covered my international medical bills. While I was in Tahiti, my family contacted Discovery Health Medical Scheme to explain what had happened.

The Scheme was so on the ball. Someone from the Scheme called me every day while I was in Tahiti to check that I was being looked after and had everything I needed.

What was coming home like? How did Discovery Health Medical Scheme support you?

After two weeks in Tahiti, I was stable enough to fly back to South Africa. I went straight from the airport to the hospital. Discovery Health Medical Scheme had already arranged everything, immediately taking on supporting my transition into getting further treatment. It was seamless, and I always felt like I was in capable hands.

Discovery Health Medical Scheme covered all of my surgeries and follow-up appointments in full. My occupational therapy was also funded under my access to Prescribed Minimum Benefits. I really felt looked after during a very stressful time.

Once home, I underwent two skin graft operations and began months of occupational therapy to regain strength and movement in my arm and hand. That was the big work.

What were the toughest parts of your recovery journey?

My recovery was not straightforward, and the uncertainty took its toll. Looking back now, I realise I was quite depressed for several months. I had no idea if my hand would recover or if I'd ever be able to sail, surf or dive again.

I wasn't regaining function in my hand as expected. I couldn't open my hand or move my thumb. Doctors faced the difficult decision to operate again to investigate possible nerve damage, or wait. If they had operated and nothing was wrong, they would have risked causing more damage.

After further testing, the decision was made to operate again. My radial nerve - one of the three major nerves in the arm - was still severed and surrounded by a neuroma, which is thickened nerve tissue that formed as my body tried to heal itself. That explained why there had been no improvement.

Surgeons repaired the nerve using a graft taken from a nerve in my right foot.

Now I have about 80% function in my hand. I still can't fully open my hand when I lift it upright from the wrist, and reaching for something on a high shelf can be tricky. But I manage. I can do most things I need to do in daily life, which means a lot to me.

You never gave up on getting back into the water?

Six months after the attack, I got back into the water to attempt surfing once more - something I feared I might never do again. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to paddle out because of my injuries, but I did it and it was amazing! I was so happy. My friend who witnessed the shark attack was there when I caught my first wave, and that made it unforgettable.

Just over a year after the attack, I also returned to diving. I still feel a bit nervous when I dive, but I'm confident that will improve over time.

What's your take-home message for the world, Angus?

I'm a licensed skipper, and I'm now back to doing what I love - spending time on and in the ocean. When Discovery Health Medical Scheme spoke to me in February 2026, I had just arrived in Hobart, Tasmania, during a sailing trip around Tasmania.

After sharing my story on Instagram, I gained more than 40,000 followers. Things have been falling into place over the past year. The videos I posted online reached far more people than I expected, and that channel has opened up some great opportunities. Overall, I'm doing what I love again, which is fantastic.

The experience has changed my outlook on life too. I feel much more appreciative of everything, and I feel more confident too. After surviving and coming through something so difficult, I feel like I can face any challenge.

If you've had a bad experience while doing something you love, don't let it stop you from following your passion. Face your fears and keep doing what makes you happy.