260 - Shark Attack Survivor: Brett Connellan

At the age of 22, Brett Connellan was surfing his local beach when he suffered the intense impact from the jaws of a Great White shark. Through the attack, Brett lost the majority of his left thigh and sustained serious damage to his hand, but he also gained a profoundly empowering perspective that has allowed Brett to conquer recovery, surf again, and inspire others to grow through trauma. We hope you enjoy Brett and his compelling story of survival.

Follow @BrettConnellan and @SurfSplendor

View this post on Instagram

Around 7pm tonight at Bombo beach Brett Connellan was attacked by a shark. He was saved by the actions of his mates particularly @j_trist , who paddled towards Brett to pick him up and bring him to the beach. Brett was transported to hospital by helicopter and currently is in theatre. He is in a serious but stable condition. He will be in an induced coma until his injuries are fully assessed. We would would like to thank his close group of mates, particularly Joel, the people on the beach who helped, paramedics, police and hospital staff.
A post shared by Brett Connellan (@brettconnellan) on Mar 30, 2016 at 6:21am PDT

View this post on Instagram

Wish we got to see eachother under better circumstances but these two are amazing and have been keeping me strong. Love you both @michelle_mabelle1 @liv_connellan
A post shared by Brett Connellan (@brettconnellan) on Apr 5, 2016 at 2:28am PDT

View this post on Instagram

Can honestly say I wouldn’t still be here today without these two humans. Thank you so much for how you acted and how you kept me calm amidst the most difficult moment of my life so far. Thankyou @j_trist for paddling towards me, and towards danger without hesitation when most people would freeze, you’re the most courageous person I know! And thank you @agiekrowka for being in the right place at the right time when I never would have expected it, your calmness and ability to do your job under pressure is also inspirational. There’s so many more people I want to thank but I owe my life to these two, they’re both heroes in every sense of the word.
A post shared by Brett Connellan (@brettconnellan) on Apr 18, 2016 at 12:33am PDT

View this post on Instagram

It’s been fun St George but I’m going home for a holiday
A post shared by Brett Connellan (@brettconnellan) on May 3, 2016 at 11:39pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

That’s a start! 30 degrees of bend isn’t much but it’s hard to achieve when your muscles haven’t worked or moved in almost 3 months. @baimedphysio
A post shared by Brett Connellan (@brettconnellan) on Jun 28, 2016 at 12:58am PDT

View this post on Instagram

Good end to the week! Knee is bending more and more after each session. Still got bird legs though @baimedphysio
A post shared by Brett Connellan (@brettconnellan) on Jul 29, 2016 at 1:22am PDT

View this post on Instagram

So, today this happened and it was pretty great to say the least. I honestly can’t thank everyone enough for getting me to this point and thanks to @nick_cliffordd for sharing a few waves with me, it was possibly the funnest session of my life. ? @keepj
A post shared by Brett Connellan (@brettconnellan) on Sep 8, 2016 at 12:41am PDT

View this post on Instagram

Missing the salt a fair bit right now. Pretty glad this shot by @warrenkeelan popped up to get me motivated to get into physio this week
A post shared by Brett Connellan (@brettconnellan) on Jun 27, 2016 at 2:23am PDT

View this post on Instagram

Something about a lazy Sunday. ? @poochy_imagery
A post shared by Brett Connellan (@brettconnellan) on Jul 24, 2016 at 3:03am PDT

View this post on Instagram

The beginning of a mountain of Macaronis spam! Feels good to use the rail! @3d_printed_fins_uow
A post shared by Brett Connellan (@brettconnellan) on May 28, 2018 at 4:33am PDT