Since Glenn Dickson survived a savage shark attack in February, the young father has been thinking about getting back in the water.
And seven months since a three-and-a-half metre bull shark nearly ended Mr Dickson’s life, he is finally back where he is happiest.
The 25-year-old was spearfishing off Hinchinbrooke Island, North Queensland, on February 18 when he was confronted by the vicious bull shark.
The creature repeatedly attacked Mr Dickson and left him fighting for his life in hospital, where doctors had to amputate his right leg.
Glenn Dickson was spearfishing off Hinchinbrooke Island, North Queensland on February 18 when he was attacked by a bull shark
The creature repeatedly attacked Mr Dickson and left him fighting for his life in hospital, where doctors had to amputate his right leg
Seven months since a three-and-a-half metre bull shark nearly ended Mr Dickson’s life, he is back in the water
Speaking to 60 Minutes on Sunday night, the young father-of-three relived his horrific ordeal and shared his journey since the attack.
‘You can’t stop living life just because you get knocked down,’ he said.
‘You’ve gotta get back up and keep trying, and I love the ocean and I knew what I was doing that day.’
Mr Dickson told 60 Minutes: ‘You can’t stop living life just because you get knocked down.’
The father-of-three arrived in hospital nearly four hours since the shark attack took place
Three months after the attack and with his right leg gone, Mr Dickson stood up and began learning to walk with a prosthesis
Mr Dickson said he was ‘as close as you can get’ to dying but miraculously pulled through, even after a 45-minute boat ride back to shore, where he was flown to Cairns Base Hospital.
By the time he arrived at the hospital, it had been four hours since the attack.
On the day of the attack, Mr Dickson had been out spearfishing with three of his friends.
Friends Peter Kosica and Aaron Butler, together with former US Navy diver Rick Bettua, pulled Mr Dickson into the boat after they realised he had been mauled.
Appearing on the program, Mr Bettua said it ‘came down to seconds’ to save Mr Dickson’s life.
Mr Dickson said he was ‘as close as you can get’ to dying but miraculously pulled through
At the time of the attack, Mr Dickson was a father to son Reef, four, and daughter Lyla, two. He has since welcomed now three-month old daughter Aurora
Mr Dickson said he remembered his friends telling him he ‘wasn’t going to die on them’ and he had to get back to his family
‘He had a 360 degree cut around his thigh, it went all the way around, and every vein and every artery was severed,’ Rick said.
There was also another massive gash on Mr Dickson’s calf.
Asked how many times he thought his friend died, Rick said ‘at least six’.
Mr Dickson said he remembered his friends telling him he ‘wasn’t going to die on them’ and he had to get back to his family.
At the time of the attack, Mr Dickson was a father to son Reef, four, and daughter Lyla, two.
His fiancé, Jessie-Lee Janssen, was pregnant with their third child.
Fiancé Jessie-Lee Janssen said ‘I think it’s good for him to move forward and to be getting on with life’
Mr Dickson had a ‘360 degree cut around his thigh, it went all the way around, and every vein and every artery was severed’
She told the program that she supported his need to get back into the water.
‘I think it’s good for him to move forward and to be getting on with life, rather than letting the unfortunate thing that happened to him, get to him,’ she said.
The couple welcomed their daughter Aurora, now three-months-old, after Mr Dickson’s surgery.
Three months after the attack and with his right leg gone, Mr Dickson stood up and began learning to walk with a prosthesis.
Glenn (left) was back in the water seven months after the shark nearly ended his life, even catching a crayfish within 15 minutes
Coming to terms with the loss of his leg took a lot of effort for the young father, who said he ‘had to learn to love my leg’.
With the unconditional love and support from his family and friends, the 25-year-old was back in the water seven months after the shark nearly ended his life.
And within 15 minutes, he had caught his first crayfish.
Mr Dickson admitted he felt a bit ‘edgy’ at the beginning of his dive but once he ‘got back in the water, I felt back at home’.