It was a lucky day for Mick Fanning, an Australian professional surfer who was suddenly approached by two sharks during a competition in South Africa. The 34-year-old three-time world champion was about to compete in the final against fellow Australian Julian Wilson during the J-Bay Open when the cameras caught what looks like two sharks approach Fanning and knock him off his board.

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Organizers of the event appear quickly realized what was going on and went to rescue Fanning, who was not injured. “I was just about to start moving and then I felt something grab [and] get stuck in my leg rope. And I instantly just jumped away and it just kept coming at my board. I was just started kicking and screaming,” Fanning later said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. “I just saw fin, I didn’t see the teeth. I was waiting for the teeth to come at me as I was swimming.” Fanning added how he managed to keep the shark at bay: “I punched him in the back!”

“It felt like I punched it a couple of times and I felt like it was dragging me underwater and then my leg rope broke and I was like, ‘Alright, just start swimming and swimming and swimming,’” Fanning added, according to Sky News. “I can’t believe it, I’m tripping out.”

The J-Bay Open was cancelled less than two hours after the attack and Fanning and Wilson split the prize money, reports Fox Sports.

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