© Andrew CrustThe shark attacking the boat.
Stephen Crust, 63, and son Andrew Crust, 36, were fishing on Sunday (13 December) when a white pointer at least half the length of their boat attacked, supposedly unprovoked, prompting fears for local residents.
The "bloody big" beast bit and repeatedly rammed the craft with its head near Pulbah Island in Lake Macquarie, NSW, the son told The Central Coast Gosford Express Advocate.
"It was big enough to take an arm off or even kill you," Andrew Crust said.
© Stephen CrustA great white shark left teeth marks on the outboard motor
"It's a bit of a worry if this shark is about when people are out skiing or doing anything on the water."
The frightened duo managed to capture video and photographic evidence of the attack. One of the photos shows a shark chewing on on the boat's motor and another, taken after the incident, seems to show the scratch marks it left.
The father, Stephen Crust, said he managed to hook the shark with his rod during the attack, and tried to reel it in for 30 minutes, but it lived to bite another day.
"I hooked him with my heavy ocean gear, and it was a great fight until he snapped the line."
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