Its estimated length was approximately two to three meters, or 6.5 to 10 feet.
Even at that size, a great white possesses considerable strength.
The species has a muscular body, a powerful tail, and large jaws equipped with serrated teeth.
Those teeth are adapted to cut through flesh, making a bite capable of producing serious tissue damage.
A shark does not need to be exceptionally large to inflict a life-threatening injury.
A single bite can damage muscle, blood vessels, nerves, and other structures.
When a limb is involved, the resulting blood loss can become a major concern.
The location of Chantelle's injuries made the situation particularly dangerous.
The shark had seized her right leg.
The reported injuries were serious enough to require urgent medical treatment and helicopter transportation.
The exact sequence of the shark's approach is not fully established in the supplied account.
There is no confirmed description of the animal circling her for several minutes or making repeated warning passes.
Nor is there evidence that the shark had been deliberately following Chantelle before the attack.
The encounter became apparent when the animal bit her leg.
For her husband, the situation was immediately recognizable as an emergency.
The shark was not merely swimming nearby.
It was physically attached to his wife.
That created an unusually dangerous rescue problem.
Attempting to approach a shark that is actively biting a person exposes the rescuer to the same powerful jaws.
Even a sudden movement of the animal's head or body could cause serious harm.
The husband also had no specialized equipment designed for controlling a large marine predator.
He was on a surfboard.
His wife was injured.
And the shark was still in contact with her.
The distance between them was short enough for him to intervene directly.
But getting close meant abandoning the relative separation offered by his board.
His next action would become the defining moment of the entire incident.
Chapter 3: The Shark Clamps Onto Chantelle's Leg
The attack unfolded in the water off Shelly Beach.
Chantelle was surfing when the great white shark seized her right leg.
The bite caused severe injuries, immediately placing her in a dangerous position.
A person injured while surfing faces two simultaneous problems.
The injury itself may require urgent treatment.
But the person must also remain afloat and reach a safe location while surrounded by moving water.
In Chantelle's case, the situation was made worse by the shark's continued contact with her leg.
The animal had not simply passed close to her board.