For eight years, Laurent Chardard, Paralympic bronze medalist in the 50m butterfly on Tuesday September 3, has told his story hundreds of times, but he repeats it without a sign of weariness. “I put myself in people’s shoes, you don’t come across a guy who’s been attacked by a shark every day. It’s a bit of a phobia for everyone, because of the Jaws. Of course, there are questions. Born in Saint-Pierre, Reunion Island, Laurent Chardard arrived in mainland France in 2012 at the age of 17, with his baccalaureate in his pocket and his surfboard under his arm. Ironically, it was the shark that pushed him to flee his native island.
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“Since 2010, with the “shark crisis”, surfing was becoming complicated. I said to myself: “I might as well go to France to a more safe [sûr].“Especially since in Reunion, I couldn’t do the studies I liked”reports to the Monde the swimmer, competing on Tuesday September 3 in the 50m butterfly (S6 category) at the Paralympic Games.
He leaves the Aquitaine coast once or twice a year to find the gentle Indian Ocean, putting surfing on hold until the day when anti-shark protection nets are deployed off the beach of Boucan Canot, in the northwest of the island. On August 27, 2016, the swell is around 3 meters, the red flame is hoisted, but the conditions are tempting for surfers at this popular spot.
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Right leg and arm amputated
The session is coming to an end. Lying on his bodyboard, Laurent Chardard begins to paddle towards the peak, where the wave is breaking when a gray-brown mass grabs him and drags him to the bottom. He struggles with his left arm, punching what turns out to be – according to the bites – a bull shark.
As he surfaced, he saw that his right arm was missing and his left thumb had been half torn off. “My brain doesn’t think too much, reflexes take over. I shout ‘shark, shark!’ Everyone gets out of the water.” Stuck in the surf zone, he tells himself that he will not have the strength to take the wave with enough momentum to reach the shore. Despite the pain, he does not panic. He decides to return to the peak and wait for help offshore.
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The shark, however, is not done with his business. He pulls him to the bottom, this time by the right leg. Once again, the young man manages to free himself. A lifeguard on a jet ski puts an end to the nightmare. On the eve of his 21st birthday, Laurent Chardard wakes up with his right leg and arm amputated.
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