Florida kayaker films close encounter with shark

A Florida kayaker lives to tell about a surprising encounter with a shark that was a little too close for comfort.

Drew Trousdell was filming himself kayaking along the Matanzas Inlet in Florida earlier this month when suddenly he felt something grab at his paddle.

A mounted Go-Pro camera shows the moment Trousdell begins to realize something strange is happening in the water, and it’s not long until his paddle is suddenly hit a second time from the others side as well.

Slow motion footage of the encounter shows a large shark diving out of the water, attempting to attack his kayak. A final shot also reveals a set of teeth markings where the large fish clamped its jaws down on the end of the kayak paddle.

This lucky kayaker also gives some useful parting wisdom to the audience about his experience, with text at the end of the clip advising others to always “plan for the unexpected, be prepared and paddle safe!”