A former tradesman who lost his leg as he was spearfishing has recalled in harrowing detail how a shark bit into his leg and tore if off – almost killing him.
Glenn Dickson, now 26, was close to death as a three-and-a-half metre beast sunk its teeth into his right leg early last year.
‘I was thrown and thrashed around with such immense force,’ he told the ABC.
He has offered his morale support to a woman and a 12-year-old girl attacked in Queensland’s Whitsundays last week, saying they were now members of the ‘ bite club’.
A former tradesman who lost his leg as he was spearfishing has recalled in harrowing detail how a shark bit into his leg and tore if off – almost killing him
The father-of-three almost died six times following the bull shark attack in February last year, off the coast of Mission Beach in far north Queensland, and only survived thanks to his quick-thinking spearfishing friends.
‘Immediately the water was filling up with blood,’ he said.
He remembered how the faces of his children and his fiancee Jessie-Lee Janssen flashed before him.
‘That gave me the strength to survive the five and a half hours from the attack to getting into surgery,’ he said.
Glenn Dickson (pictured with his fiancee Jessie-Lee Janssen) almost died as a three-and-a-half metre beast sunk its teeth into his right leg early last year
The father-of-three almost died six times off following the bull shark attack in February last year and only survived thanks to his quick-thinking spearfishing friends
Mr Dickson has spoken about his life-and-death ordeal after Tasmanian woman Justine Barwick, 46, was last week attacked in another part of the Queensland coast, at Cid Harbour, near Hamilton Island.
She was mauled on Thursday, and required 18 hours of intensive surgery to save her leg, only 24 hours after a 12-year-old Melbourne girl Hannah Papps was attacked by another shark in the same area of the Whitsundays in the Great Barrier Reef, leaving her in a critical condition.
Mr Dickson, who is getting married next month, said he hoped the public would rally around Queensland’s latest shark attack victims.
‘The public support has been amazing and I really hope these women are going to get the same support that I did because it is really amazing,’ he said.
The former tradesman, who now wears a prosthetic leg, has since been embroiled in a fight with Centrelink, which refused him a disability pension, even though he is unable to work.
Glenn Dickson was refused a Centrelink disability pension after the shark attack in far north Queensland that tore off his right leg
The former tradesman survived and was released from hospital after only five weeks, but lost his right leg and is unable to work (pictured is Centrelink’s letter)
‘I think I became a number, a dollar sign that they could save money on,’ he told told A Current Affair last year.
‘It feels like being kicked in the guts, by your own government.’
Mr Dickson (pictured, left) and his partner Jess (pictured, right) believe it is simply unfair for him to be refused the Disability Support Pension
Despite his severe injury – requiring the father-of-two (pictured) to use a prosthetic limb with a cane or a wheelchair – Centrelink are refusing to give him a disability pension
To make matters worse, his superannuation fund Sunsuper will not pay Mr Dickson a lump sum, giving him his money over six years instead.
Mr Dickson said the company changed their policy only 12 months before the shark attack, otherwise he would be able to collect the lump sum.
The young family have now accepted a pro bono offer from Will Barsby from Shine Lawyers to help him fight Centrelink and Sunsuper.
To make matters worse, his superannuation fund Sunsuper will not pay Mr Dickson (pictured) a lump sum, giving him his money over six years instead
Mr Dickson (pictured) said the company changed their policy only 12 months before the shark attack, otherwise he would be able to collect the lump sum
Although Mr Dickson is getting a Newstart allowance, it amounts to $400 less a fortnight than the disability pension.
Mr Barsby is trying to get Sunsuper to pay Mr Dickson a lump sum so he can buy a new home or a new prosthetic.
The Department of Human Services said in a statement they believe Mr Dickson is getting the correct payment and he has the right to request a review of the decision.
Sunsuper said their research showed members prefer being paid in installments rather than receiving lump sums, and said ‘significant consideration’ had been given to Mr Dickson’s case.
Although Mr Dickson (pictured) is getting a Newstart unemployment allowance, it amounts to $400 less a fortnight than the disability pension