A surfing competition in South Africa was canceled after the surfer Mick Fanning, a three-time world champion, fought off a shark attack on live television during the program’s opening minutes. He escaped the water with another competitor, Julian Wilson, shaken but physically unharmed.
The World Surf League canceled the competition, the J-Bay Open, and said in a statement that Fanning and Wilson, both finalists, had agreed to split the prize money and each receive second-place points. The competition is the sixth stop on the Samsung Galaxy World Surf League Championship Tour.
“We are incredibly grateful that no one was seriously injured today,” the World Surf League said in a statement.