Sometimes you catch the fish. Sometimes, it catches you. One fisherman found this out the hard way after getting dragged into the ocean after hooking a massive shark.
Sadly, the Australian fisherman is now missing, and things aren't looking too promising. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, 58-year-old Paul Barning disappeared into the sea. He was competing in the NSW Game Fishing Association's interclub state championships off the coast of Newcastle when things took a turn for the tragic. His line became tangled with another line that had a fairly large mako shark on the other end.
The incident happened on Sunday. According to NSW Police Force superintendent Joe McNulty, the fisherman and his crew attempted a tag and release. That's when Barning got pulled into the water.
"After the entanglement we believe the shark has submerged, pulling the man into that water," McNulty said in a press conference, per 7NEWS Australia. "We believe the shark was quite large. Their vessel was only 6.8 metres in length," McNulty said. "During that process of bringing the shark alongside, he's become tangled in the fishing line. And the shark has taken off. And that fishing line was pulled taut and maybe contributed to him going over the side of the vessel."
Fisherman Disappears
"There's no evidence to say that shark has attacked the person in the water," he continued.
"As most of you are probably aware we lost a much loved revered member of our community during the NSWGFA Interclub tournament," the release read.
"Paul Barning, current secretary, past president and life member of Port Hacking game fishing club was a highly experienced game fisherman," they added. "He was tragically lost at sea in the most unlikely of circumstances whilst fishing on his boat Dark Horse off Port Stephens on Sunday."
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Leonie, his son Sam and daughters Eleanor and Brigette in this trying time," they continued. "We also have the crew and their families in our thoughts and prayers. To those participants of the tournament that assisted in the search efforts, we thank you."
